Fuel prices jump in Washington and region
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Filling the tank became an even more expensive endeavor across Western Pennsylvania this week.
The average price of a gallon of unleaded self-serve is $2.605 – 8.7 cents higher than last week, AAA East Central reported on Monday. That figure, however, is 29.3 cents cheaper than it was a year ago, at $2.898.
This latest increase follows a more modest weekly hike of 4.3 cents, meaning area fuel prices, on average, have risen 13.0 cents over the past two weeks.
AAA monitors weekly prices in 23 cities and towns across the region, where the greater Washington area experienced a monstrous 21.5-cent jump this week to $2.557. That is the sixth-lowest average across Western Pennsylvania, ending Washington’s 10-week run of being among the lowest three.
New Castle, once again, has the cheapest average in the region at $2.393, a few cents lower than Latrobe ($2.421). Greensburg ($2.483) is No. 3.
Uniontown’s average jumped by 15.0 cents to $2.683, the seventh-highest price in Western Pennsylvania. Brookville ($2.702) has the region’s most-expensive fuel.
Pennsylvania’s average is $2.616, up 5.2 cents. The national figure likewise rose, by six cents to $2.31. That is the highest U.S. average in 10 months, but it is 27 cents less than a year ago.
Prices have risen even though demand has dropped from 8.1 million barrels per day to 7.4 million, the lowest level recorded since the end of May, according to the Energy Information Administration. AAA said pump prices may continue to increase if crude oil prices remain high and gasoline stocks continue to be low.