With the summer drive season just a month away, Connecticut drivers are seeing higher prices at the pump this week, says AAA Northeast.
Today, in the Nutmeg State, gas prices for a gallon of self-service, regular average $3.41, 11 cents higher than last week, and 52 cents lower than last year, while the national average of $3.60 is 9 cents higher than last week and 52 cents lower than last year.
“OPECs recent announcement that I’ll cut production caused crude prices to surge, which in turn contributed to price increases at the pump,” said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman.
Crude oil costs account for more than 50% of what drivers pay at the pump, she added. “With the production cut, domestic supplies have dropped substantially and as we see warmer weather, demand is expected to increase,” Mayko said. “When that happens, it’s a matter of time before pump prices follow suit,” she said.
Here is AAA’s weekly price survey of Connecticut’s six metro regions:
Greater Bridgeport $3.44 Lower Fairfield County $3.43
New Haven/Meriden $3.40 Greater Hartford $3.39
New London/Norwich $3.43 Windham/Middlesex $3.49
Statewide Average: $3.41
Today, Mississippi registers the lowest prices in the nation at $3.13, followed by Arkansas at $3.18. California and Hawaii continue to hold the highest prices in the nation at $4.88 and $4.78, respectively. Connecticut holds the 30th spot on the list of highest gas prices in the nation. Average gas prices may be obtained daily through www.gasprices.aaa.com.