After 10 days of stability, the national gas price average increased a penny to $3.05, while most states – including Connecticut – either saw a slight increase or no movement at all at the pump.
In The Nutmeg State, the average gas price for a gallon of self-serve regular today is $3.09, two cents higher than last week and $1.08 higher than last year.
“As demand drops, supplies increase and crude rises, drivers can expect pump prices to fluctuate in the coming weeks,” said Fran Mayko, AAA Northeast spokeswoman.
Last week, crude prices hit $69 a barrel, their highest price in 2.5 years, which in turn increased prices at the pump, she said. Crude prices account for more than 50% of pump prices.
But there is some good news for drivers, Mayko said. “Crude prices may not be able to continue at its current levels now that OPEC and its allies have announced a gradual increase in crude production next month,” she added. “If that happens, we’ll see a drop in crude prices, which in turn translates to lower pump prices. That’ll be good news for drivers.”
Here is AAA’s weekly price survey of Connecticut’s six metro regions:
Greater Bridgeport $3.16 Lower Fairfield County $3.15
New Haven/Meriden $3.06 Greater Hartford $3.06
New London/Norwich $3.10 Windham/Middlesex $3.07
Statewide Average: $3.09
Today, Texas and Louisiana register the lowest prices in the nation at $2.70 and $2.71, respectively. California and Hawaii continue to hold the highest prices in the nation at $4.22 and $3.95, respectively. Connecticut moved to the 16th spot on the list of highest gas prices in the nation. Average gas prices may be obtained daily through www.gasprices.aaa.com.