Gasoline prices in our area continue to rise.
Prices in Butler this week are averaging over $3.15 per gallon, according to AAA’s weekly fuel survey, which is an increase of about 5 cents over last week’s average.
Butler’s prices are some of the highest in the region- only topped by places including Sharon and Beaver, where prices are averaging $3.19.
AAA says motorists in a total of 17 states have seen the average price per gallon top $3 as gas remains over 50 cents per gallon more expensive this year than this time last year.
AAA Weekly Gas Price Report:
This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average $3.152
Average price during the week of May 21, 2018 $3.099
Average price during the week of May 30, 2017 $2.636
The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:
$3.030 Altoona
$3.190 Beaver
$3.105 Bradford
$3.138 Brookville
$3.157 Butler
$3.159 Clarion
$3.112 Du Bois
$3.129 Erie
$3.180 Greensburg
$3.144 Indiana
$3.217 Jeannette
$3.165 Kittanning
$3.152 Latrobe
$3.152 Meadville
$3.160 Mercer
$3.160 New Castle
$3.186 New Kensington
$3.190 Pittsburgh
$3.199 Sharon
$3.158 Uniontown
$3.088 Warren
$3.183 Washington
On the National Front
Over the long holiday weekend, the national gas price average has held steady for five days at $2.97, signaling that prices may be stabilizing as we head into June. This development comes as crude oil prices start to fall following some of the highest prices in three-years. At the start of the holiday weekend, reports indicated that OPEC may raise production levels to help ease global supply concerns. This announcement immediately brought down the price of crude, which is welcome news to motorists who have not only seen pump prices increase, on average, 16-cents since the beginning of May, but are paying the highest prices to fill up since 2014.
Oil prices also declined after EIA’s weekly report showed that total crude inventories grew by 5.7 million barrels. A decrease in crude exports, an increase in imports and record-breaking crude production contributed to the inventory growth. The news was a surprise to the market, which expected to see inventories decline in the run-up to Memorial Day weekend. If the trend continues in the weeks to come, crude prices may continue to edge lower.
Gas prices, however, remain very expensive. On the week, three states have been added to the list of states with a gas price average of $3 or more – making for 17 states in total. Another four states are just pennies away from joining this list, including Indiana, Maryland, New Mexico and Massachusetts.
