New Year Brings Cold Weather and Higher Gas Prices; AAA Texas Monthly Fuel Gauge Report
HOUSTON--Jan. 13, 2004--Cold weather and higher prices for crude oil are pushing gasoline prices to their highest level ever recorded in the month of January, according to AAA Texas.The nationwide average price of self-serve regular gasoline is up 8.7 cents per gallon since the middle of last month to $1.561 per gallon. This is the highest average nationwide gasoline price since Oct. 23, 2003 of last year, when the price was 1.562 per gallon. It is also the highest average price ever recorded in the month of January by AAA. The current average price is 9 cents per gallon higher than in mid-January of last year when the price was $1.471.
"Reasons for the price increase include the high cost of crude oil as oil prices topped $35 per barrel this week," said Rose Rougeau of AAA Texas. "This is the highest oil price since before the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom in March of last year."
Very cold weather across most of the United States also is pushing gasoline prices higher. Refineries tend to emphasize the production of fuels needed to generate electricity and heat homes when the weather turns very cold, and this often decreases the available inventory of gasoline.
The statewide average for self-serve, regular gasoline in Texas is $1.472, which is 11.7 cents more than last month's average and 7.6 cents more than last year's average of $1.396, according to AAA Texas.
AAA's Fuel Gauge Report is based on data from the Oil Price Information Service, the nation's most comprehensive source of petroleum pricing information.
AAA Texas, an affiliate of AAA National, has been serving Texans since 1902. Today, more than a million AAA Texas' members benefit from the organization's roadside assistance service, insurance and financial products, travel agency, automotive pricing, buying and financing, trip planning services, and traffic safety programs. Information about these products and services is available on AAA Texas' web site at www.aaa-texas.com.
AAA Texas Fuel Gauge Monthly Report
AVERAGE PRICE OF SELF-SERVE REGULAR GASOLINE
Metro State Jan. Dec. Nov. Oct. Sept. Jan.
'04 '03 '03 '03 '03 '03
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Abilene TX 1.481 1.400 1.421 1.454 1.544 1.409
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Amarillo TX 1.445 1.326 1.387 1.426 1.527 1.353
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Austin TX 1.476 1.359 1.374 1.391 1.507 1.387
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Beaumont TX 1.494 1.396 1.376 1.395 1.541 1.421
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Brownsville TX 1.482 1.311 1.285 1.358 1.429 1.371
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Corpus Christi TX 1.487 1.319 1.249 1.352 1.449 1.407
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Dallas TX 1.478 1.397 1.412 1.454 1.559 1.431
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
El Paso TX 1.465 1.387 1.461 1.459 1.602 1.432
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Fort Worth TX 1.460 1.368 1.389 1.414 1.530 1.414
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Houston TX 1.466 1.359 1.376 1.415 1.536 1.412
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Laredo TX 1.482 1.304 1.281 1.341 1.488 1.380
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Longview TX 1.470 1.368 1.391 1.404 1.484 1.395
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Lubbock TX 1.456 1.385 1.377 1.374 1.503 1.398
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Midland TX 1.480 1.342 1.387 1.415 1.518 1.384
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Odessa TX 1.489 1.362 1.374 1.377 1.516 1.393
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
San Antonio TX 1.451 1.327 1.332 1.359 1.475 1.392
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Waco TX 1.462 1.320 1.320 1.357 1.489 1.360
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------
Average TX 1.472 1.355 1.364 1.397 1.512 1.396
---------------------- ----- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------