Gas Prices Change Direction After Weeks Of Downhill Momentum

Gas pump icon
Weekly gas price survey

The trend of falling gas prices across the United States came grinding to a halt during the past week, at least for most of us, as the cost of the average gallon of unleaded gas flattened out or increased in most regions. On average, the price of a gallon of gas increased by about two-cents per gallon, a charge led by the West Coast and the Midwestern U.S, according to the latest gas price survey from the Department of Energy.

Midwest gas prices are often a portent of where broader national fuel prices are going next, at least when examining trend lines of recent fuel charges from the DOE’s Energy Information Administration. The EIA is predicting gas prices are likely to level off for the summer, settling into a nationwide average of about $3.53 per gallon for most of us. That would place average gas prices right about where they are now, although some volatility may still be expected.

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Weekly diesel price survey

Diesel fuel prices kept declining during the past week, although in many regions the price declines were not as deep as recent weeks. For the Midwest, the frequent bellweather of fuel costs, the average price of diesel fuel went up about three-cents per gallon.  Nationwide, diesel costs were flat to slightly-lower, with the average U.S. trucker enjoying a penny per gallon decline in diesel charges.

DOWNLOAD THE EIA WEEKLY GAS PRICE SURVEY

Editor's note: TurnpikeInfo.com earlier had erroneously reported the EIA had predicted summer gas prices would be $3.63 per gallon for unleaded gasoline. That figure represented the 2012 pricing, not the 2013 pricing.

 

Author: Danny Pryor

Danny has more than 32 years of experience in media, including broadcasting and print journalism, and over two decades of website and digital content development. He is an AP-award-winning reporter and the creator of TurnpikeInfo.com.