Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg reports that of Sunday, the average price of a regular gallon of gas had jumped 21 cents over the past two weeks to $2.54. But as The Associated Press reports, the analyst also says the lowest national average of the 48 cities included in its survey was recorded in Baton Rouge, at $2.16 per gallon. Los Angeles had the highest-price gas among the cities at $3.48.
The average national price for midgrade gas is $2.74. For premium, it’s $2.90. Diesel stands at $3.02, up 8 cents. Lundberg says the price of regular gasoline is still 97 cents per gallon less than a year ago.
According to a separate price survey by AAA, regular gasoline is selling for $2.21 this morning in Baton Rouge. The AAA Daily Fuel Gauge says Baton Rouge gas is selling here for 3 cents more today than it was a week ago. A month ago, the Baton Rouge average was $1.96, and a year ago it was $3.22.
In a recent market analysis, AAA noted average gas prices had increased for 35 days in a row through early March—the longest consecutive streak of rising prices since February 2013. Gasoline prices are up primarily due to a combination of rising crude oil costs, refinery maintenance and production problems, AAA says.
“Paying $2 for gas will seem like a distant memory for most drivers in the coming weeks,” says AAA spokesman Avery Ash. “Gas prices likely will rise higher in March as refineries conduct seasonal maintenance. The good news is that most U.S. drivers should still pay less than $3 per gallon to fill up their cars this year.”
