Washington, D.C. – The national average price for a gallon of gas remained stable over the past week, ending at $3.22 after fluctuating just a few cents.
Although pump prices have been gradually decreasing, the strengthening of Hurricane Helene is influencing the market. Meanwhile, the average cost for public electric vehicle (EV) charging has not changed.
“Hurricane Helene is expected to affect gasoline demand, but it will not disrupt supply,” said Andrew Gross, a spokesperson for AAA. “The storm is currently bypassing key oil production and refining areas in the Gulf as it moves through the Southeast. However, power outages, road flooding, and structural damage may prevent some drivers from refueling for a few days. Thus, any impact on the national average is likely to be temporary.”
AAA reports that approximately 1.2 million of its members reside in households with electric vehicles. The organization monitors the average cost of public charging by state. Currently, the national average cost for a kilowatt of electricity at public charging stations is 35 cents.
Recent data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that gasoline demand rose from 8.77 million barrels per day (b/d) last week to 9.20 million b/d. At the same time, domestic gasoline stocks dipped slightly from 221.6 million barrels to 220.1 million barrels, while gasoline production increased to an average of 9.8 million barrels daily. Weak demand and lower oil prices are expected to keep gas prices on a downward trend.
Today’s national average for a gallon of gas is $3.22, which is 13 cents lower than a month ago and 61 cents lower than this time last year.
Oil Market Update
In Wednesday’s trading session, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil fell by 1.87 cents to close at $69.69 a barrel. The EIA also reported a decrease in crude oil inventories, down by 4.5 million barrels from the previous week. Currently, U.S. crude oil inventories stand at 413 million barrels, about 5% below the five-year average for this time of year.
Gas and Electricity Price Highlights
Gas Prices
The most expensive gasoline markets in the country include:
California: $4.71
Hawaii: $4.60
Washington: $4.08
Nevada: $3.95
Alaska: $3.68
Oregon: $3.68
Utah: $3.58
Idaho: $3.51
Colorado: $3.49
Illinois: $3.46
Conversely, the least expensive gasoline markets are:
Mississippi: $2.71
Texas: $2.77
Louisiana: $2.77
Tennessee: $2.79
Alabama: $2.80
Oklahoma: $2.82
Arkansas: $2.86
Missouri: $2.88
South Carolina: $2.88
Kansas: $2.90
Electricity Prices
The states with the lowest public charging costs per kilowatt hour are:
Kansas: 22 cents
Missouri: 24 cents
Delaware: 26 cents
Wisconsin: 28 cents
Nebraska: 28 cents
Texas: 29 cents
Vermont: 30 cents
Michigan: 30 cents
North Dakota: 30 cents
Utah: 31 cents
The states with the highest public charging costs are:
Hawaii: 57 cents
West Virginia: 45 cents
Idaho: 43 cents
Montana: 42 cents
Arkansas: 42 cents
South Carolina: 42 cents
Kentucky: 41 cents
Tennessee: 41 cents
South Dakota: 41 cents
Alaska: 41 cents
Drivers can check current gas and electric charging prices along their routes using the AAA TripTik Travel Planner.
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