Because of Hurricane Ida, motorists can expect short-term price fluctuations at the pump leading into the Labor Day weekend, said AAA Northeast.
The Hurricane knocked 13% of the nation’s refinery capacity offline and until power is restored and damage, assessed, it’s too early to know Ida’s full impact, said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman. “Typically, a Category 4 storm could mean three plus weeks before refineries are back to normal.”
As a precautionary measure, the Colonial Pipeline also shut two main lines between Texas and North Carolina, but once an inspection is conducted, the company expects the pipeline to be in full service.
That’s good news for Connecticut, said Mayko, because southern New England could see a minimal impact if the pipeline is down for a matter of hours rather than days.
Today, the national average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gas is $3.15, a penny less than last week but 92 cents higher than last year; while in Connecticut, prices average $3.18, a penny higher than last week and 95 cents higher than last year.
Here is AAA’s weekly price survey of Connecticut’s six metro regions:
Greater Bridgeport $3.25 Lower Fairfield County $3.24
New Haven/Meriden $3.16 Greater Hartford $3.14
New London/Norwich $3.21 Windham/Middlesex $3.18
Statewide Average: $3.18
Today, Texas and Mississippi register the lowest prices in the nation at $2.78, followed by Alabama at $2.82. California and Hawaii continue to hold the highest prices in the nation at $4.40 and $4.07, respectively. Connecticut moved down to the 17th spot on the list of highest gas prices in the nation. Average gas prices may be obtained daily through www.gasprices.aaa.com.