Winter weather is being blamed for the recent spike in gasoline prices that hit Delaware drivers the hardewt.
Delaware led the nation with its spike in gas prices, AAA reported.
The nation’s top 10 largest weekly increases were: Delaware (33 cents), Florida (30 cents), Maryland (25 cents), Michigan (21 cents), Texas (+0 cents), Ohio (20 cents), South Carolina (20 cents), Missouri (20 cents), Alabama (18 cents) and Wisconsin (17 cents).
On the plus side, businesses saw some relief from diesel prices with a nearly nine-cent drop during the past week, although that was offset by a nearly 29-cent jump in the price of regular.
AAA’s Fuel Finder showed a wide variation in prices with a Liberty station on Northeast Boulevard in Wilmington and the Costco near Christiana Mall posting a $3 a gallon price. Many Wawa, Royal Farms and other stations were posting $3.40 a gallon prices for regular. That amounts to about a $6 price gap on a 15-gallon fill-up.
Delaware gas prices
| Timeframe | Regular | Mid-Grade | Premium | Diesel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Avg. | $3.353 | $3.748 | $4.009 | $4.608 |
| Yesterday Avg. | $3.329 | $3.696 | $3.926 | $4.634 |
| Week Ago Avg. | $3.064 | $3.488 | $3.751 | $4.691 |
| Month Ago Avg. | $3.378 | $3.858 | $4.165 | $5.477 |
| Year Ago Avg. | $3.245 | $3.649 | $3.888 | $3.556 |
AAA reported this week the late December winter storm and its frigid temperatures caused gas prices to spike, with refineries as far south as Texas and the Gulf Coast forced to shut down temporarily.
The storm also caused holiday travelers to fuel up and hit the road early to beat the bad weather, leading to a spike in overall gas demand. The national average for a gallon of gas rose 12 cents since last week to hit $3.22.
“The cost of gas will likely rise a bit more before this surge stalls due to less expensive oil and a return to seasonal driving patterns,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “But 2022 will go down as a record year with a national annual average of $3.96. According to fuel expert Tom Kloza of OPIS, that’s 40 to 50 cents more than the previous peak years of 2011 through 2014.”
According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand rose from 8.7 to 9.3 million barrels per day last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks fell by 3 million bbl to 223 million barrels. Additional demand and less supply pushed pump prices higher.
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