Cost To Drive Continues To Rise With Ever-Increasing Gas Prices

Gas pump icon
Weekly gas price survey

Gas and diesel prices across the United States are heading back to their post-Summer highs as the week-over-week increase in the per-gallon price continues rising, hitting $3.61 per gallon as of February 11, 2013.  The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s weekly gas price survey shows the cost of driving will now set you back, on average, about $57.76 every fill up.  That price is based on the current U.S. per-gallon average of regular unleaded, multiplied by 16 gallons, the average size of a gas tank on a mid-size car.

The latest jump in prices means gasoline has increased more than 25¢ per gallon since the end of January, with gas prices now at their highest level since September 2012, when the average U.S. cost of a gallon of gas peaked at $3.86.

The 2013 gas price trend is in line with the start of the 2012 calendar year, which saw gasoline prices jump from an average of $3.40 in January, peaking at $3.93 per gallon in May, before declining rapidly through July.  The gas prices jumped again through the fall.  A chart of the long-term gas price trend, by month, can be downloaded here.

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Weekly diesel price survey

Diesel prices also continued their weekly increase, although at a slower pace than during January. The EIA survey of diesel prices shows the cost of a gallon of fuel for truckers and diesel-car owners is now at just over $4.10 per gallon.

The rising cost of fuel has prompted some trucker publications, including Transport Topics, to offer tops to reduce fuel costs, particularly for fleet operators.

DOWNLOAD THE WEEKLY EIA GAS PRICE SURVEY