Another week, one other drop.
Bay State gasoline costs proceed to fall with the typical gallon worth down 3 cents from final week, as drivers pump their tanks for the busy vacation journey week. Meanwhile, the nationwide common rose for the primary time since September.
The common gasoline worth in Massachusetts is now $3.23 a gallon, a drop from the typical of $3.26 final week, in keeping with AAA Northeast.
The $3.23 common is 17 cents decrease than a month in the past ($3.40), and 14 cents decrease than final Dec. 26 ($3.37).
“Last week, the national average price for a gallon of gasoline increased for the first time since September — an indication prices are starting to bump against seasonal lows,” stated Mark Schieldrop, of AAA Northeast.
“Daily gas prices — both locally and nationwide — could move back and forth for the next month or so,” he added. “Looking back at pre-pandemic 2019, the national average did not make a firm turn to moving higher daily until Valentine’s Day, February 14.”
While the state’s common is all the way down to $3.23 a gallon, Suffolk County’s common is increased as typical at $3.47 a gallon. That compares to $3.04 per gallon in Hampden County and $3.07 per gallon in Franklin County.
The lowest county gasoline averages in jap Massachusetts are $3.08 a gallon in Bristol County and $3.14 a gallon in Plymouth County.
Massachusetts’ common worth stays 11 cents increased than the nationwide common of $3.12 per gallon.
While the nationwide common just lately went up by 4 cents, there’s nonetheless hope that the typical might fall under $3 a gallon within the weeks to return.
“After 13 straight weeks of decline, average gasoline prices have edged higher due to optimistic comments from the Fed on cutting interest rates in 2024, coupled with Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, boosting concerns of a disruption to global shipping, including oil shipments,” stated Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum evaluation at GasBuddy.
“For now, the price of gasoline has already jumped but could ease slightly this week ahead of the New Year,” he added. “For now, I’m optimistic that we may still have a chance of seeing the first $2.99 national average since 2021 sometime before spring arrives.”
Oil costs have been holding comparatively regular within the mid-$70 a barrel vary on blended information. Ongoing tensions within the important Red Sea transport hall brought on by militants attacking cargo ships has created upward stress on oil costs.
Meanwhile, Angola introduced it will be leaving OPEC — an indication of the Saudi-led cartel’s waning affect on world oil markets.
According to GasBuddy knowledge compiled from greater than 150,000 gasoline stations throughout the nation, the states with the bottom common costs are: Oklahoma ($2.60), Mississippi ($2.64), and Texas ($2.65).
The states with the best common costs are: Hawaii ($4.61), California ($4.54), and Washington ($4.07).
Source: www.bostonherald.com”