Gas Prices

Consumers have seen gasoline prices drop sharply in the last week, falling more in some states than in others. But in point of fact, prices are just getting back to normal after speculation in the futures market added upward pressure in the two previous months.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of gasoline is $2.16 a gallon after falling over the last 10 days. That's down a nickel from a week ago and nearly a dime lower than a month ago. But it i...

The national average price of self-serve regular, tracked daily by AAA, dropped below $2 a gallon Monday, to $1.998, for the first time since March 25, 2009.

While drivers in the southeast have been paying well below that for months, motorists in other parts of the country have seen prices fall in recent weeks but are still paying north of the $2 mark.

More than two-thirds of U.S. gas stations are now selling gas under $2 per gallon, and AAA says drivers can find at least...

Gasoline prices jumped nationwide in the last week, all due to rising oil prices and the belief by oil traders that OPEC's agreement to reduce output will send prices still higher in 2017.

After creeping higher in late 2016, oil today is trading between $52 and $55 a barrel.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of self-serve regular is $2.35 a gallon, up about six cents in the last week and 18 cents higher than a month ago.

Last year at this time, fue...

In a little noted action Friday, the Federal Reserve published a proposed rule that it said would toughen the existing requirements and limitations placed on  investment banks and some other traders who speculate in the commodities market.

The Fed said it is proposing the action because of its concerns over potential “catastrophic, legal, reputational, and financial risks” these firms could suffer, possibly posing system risks to the financial system. Most likely policym...

Gasoline prices are lower for this time of year than they have been in recent memory. Consumers should be pocketing significant savings.

But are they? Gas price website GasBuddy surveyed consumers' fuel-purchasing habits and has concluded that consumers may be saving, but they are actually paying more than they should.

The biggest threats to consumers, the site claims, are procrastination, craving convenience, and being creatures of habit.

How can following long-establishe...

It's fall, when oil refineries are turning out cheaper winter-grade gasoline. Oil prices remain at $50 or less a barrel and supplies are ample.

So why is the price at the pump rising in many areas?

According to the AAA Fuel Gauge Survey, the national average price of self-serve regular is around $2.25 a gallon, up about two cents from a week ago and eight cents higher than a month ago. That's a big jump in 30 days, especially at a time when prices are usually headed lower...

Monday's explosion at a Colonial Pipeline facility in Alabama was a much worse mishap than the leak that occurred there in early September. The explosion killed one employee and injured seven others.

Footage from the scene showed the scope of the disaster, sending gasoline futures prices soaring, since gasoline prices throughout the Southeast surged when the pipeline had to be shut down for eleven days in September. The initial assumption was this interruption would be w...

For consumers, the last two years have been “the good old days” when it comes to gasoline prices. A growing glut of oil on the world markets led to huge price declines. That, in turn, dropped gasoline prices from more than $3 a gallon to below $2 a gallon in just over a year.

That move also accomplished something else. It drove most investors out of the oil futures market. In the parlance of Wall Street, oil became a “bear market,” meaning the bet was prices would go dow...

Gasoline prices are still low by historical norms, but have been slow to drop on seasonal factors. Prices are usually lower in the fall and winter because there is less demand and it's cheaper to make winter-grade gas.

The reason prices have been slow to fall has been the crude oil market. Speculators have driven up the price because they believe OPEC is about to freeze production. Less oil on the market and the price goes up, the reasoning goes.

But is there a good reaso...

According to AAA, more than 43 million Americans will hit the road this Thanksgiving holiday. When they stop to fuel up, they'll find relatively cheap prices at the pump, and the prices could be even cheaper on the return trip.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price at $2.13 a gallon, nearly a dime cheaper than a month ago, but six cents more than last Thanksgiving weekend. The price of diesel fuel is actually down from last year.

Gas prices are higher...

Consumers have enjoyed relatively low gasoline prices for more than two years, thanks to a huge oil glut that drove down prices.

But consumers should prepare to pay more to fill up their cars and trucks next year. While all attention was focused on whether OPEC could agree to cut production, and whether members would cheat, little attention was paid to non-OPEC members, like Russia. In something of a surprise, these countries have agreed to significantly reduce output.

As...

When ConsumerAffairs reports on the price of gasoline, we always focus on the price of regular gas as the baseline, since the assumption is that's the fuel grade most consumers buy.

But increasingly, more consumers are filling up with more expensive premium gas, not because they want to but because the engine in their car requires it.

Patrick DeHaan, senior analyst at GasBuddy, has produced a chart that shows the rising percentage of new vehicles on the road that require p...

Consumers who have gotten accustomed to relatively low gasoline prices over the last two and a half years will have an adjustment to make this spring.

Gas prices are going to be a bit higher than they were last year.

Actually, they already are. The AAA Fuel Gauge Survey shows the national average price of self-serve regular is $2.28 a gallon, with almost no movement in the last week. But compared to the price a year ago, it is 57 cents a gallon more.

The national average p...

Over the weekend, there were lines at gas stations in Tennessee as many stations ran out of fuel. Meanwhile, gasoline prices soared in wide areas of the Southeast.

This flashback to the late 1970s comes courtesy of a leak in Line 1 of the Colonial Pipeline, which carries fuel between Houston and High Point, N.C. and supplies Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.

It will be several more days before supplies return to normal, but in a Tweet over t...

The news that OPEC ministers have agreed in principal to capping production sent oil prices surging on world markets late Wednesday.

Bloomberg News reported the oil ministers, meeting in Algeria, agreed in principal to try to cap production at around 33 million barrels a day. For the first time in two years, the world's major oil producers appear to be on a path that would reduce output and raise prices.

But the consensus among industry analysts appears to be that this is...