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Retail Gas Price Nearly Unchanged Since Mid-January


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ORLANDO, Fla.--The nationwide price of self-serve regular gasoline of $2.227 per gallon is 1.7 cents lower than it was one month ago, but is expected to move higher during the next few weeks, AAA said today.

Prices will probably move higher due to a return of higher oil prices – near $58 per barrel – and the upcoming switch to cleaner-burning warm weather fuels that begins in March, AAA said.

According to AAA’s daily, on-line Fuel Gauge Report (www.aaafuelgaugereport.com), the price of self-serve regular gasoline was higher one year ago at $2.292 per gallon.

AAA’s fuel price survey shows Hawaii has the highest average gas price in the nation at $2.86 per gallon. Nevada state and Washington state have the next highest average prices; at $2.489 and $2.448 per gallon, respectively.

South Carolina has the lowest state-wide average gasoline price in the nation at $2.047 per gallon. New Jersey has the next lowest price at $2.058 per gallon, followed by Tennessee with an average gas price of $2.076 per gallon.

Nationwide, the price of self-serve, mid-grade gasoline averages $2.364 per gallon, a decline from $2.382 per gallon in the middle of last month, and down from $2.434 one year ago. Self-serve premium averages $2.449 per gallon nationwide; down from $2.468 one month ago. Premium averaged $2.521 per gallon at this time last year.

The national average prices for self-serve regular unleaded gasoline for AAA's mid-February survey for the last five years are: 2006, $2.292; 2005, $1.890; 2004, $1.643; 2003, $1.605; and 2002, $1.120.

AAA's Fuel Gauge Report is based on data from Oil Price Information Service, the nation's most comprehensive source of petroleum pricing information. AAA purchases the data and makes it available free on the Internet as a public service. Average daily prices for the nation, all 50 states and more than 250 localities are available for all grades of gasoline, making the site the most current and complete public source of fuel price information.