By Mark Huffman
ConsumerAffairs.Com
July 30, 2010
The price motorists pay at the gas pump rose slightly in the last seven days, but is still in a stable range.
The national average price of self-serve regular today is $2.741 a gallon, up about two and a half cents from last Friday, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Survey. Today's average price is down about a penny from one month ago.
The average price of diesel fuel is $2.951 a gallon, up from $2.946 a week ago.
Gasoline prices edged up in the last week as crude oil prices began to recover on world markets, hovering just below $80 a barrel.
"Prices have generally averaged about 25-cents more in 2010 than they did one year ago, when the national average was around $2.50," said Andrew Delmege, AAA's manager of regulatory affairs. "High crude inventories, weak demand numbers, and little evidence to suggest a robust long-term economic recovery are all contributing to the relative stability of prices. With these conditions in place, the traditional increases we have witnessed during previous summer driving seasons appear unlikely."
In fact, the latest inventory numbers suggest prices could even soften a bit more. The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports U.S. commercial crude oil inventories increased by 7.3 million barrels to 360.80 million barrels last week, with gasoline supplies increasing by 100,000 barrels.
The states with the most expensive gasoline today are:
Alaska ($3.524)
Hawaii ($3.476)
California ($3.149)
Washington ($3.095)
Oregon ($2.995)
Nevada ($2.957)
Idaho ($2.911)
Utah ($2.883)
New York ($2.878)
Connecticut ($2.862)
The states with the least expensive gasoline today are:
South Carolina ($2.523)
New Jersey ($2.574)
Missouri ($2.577)
Tennessee ($2.577)
Alabama ($2.580)
Texas ($2.585)
Virginia ($2.587)
Louisiana ($2.605)
Georgia ($2.614)
Oklahoma($2.633)
