Americans are heading into February with higher-than-average gas prices for this time of year.
A gallon of regular gas was $3.51 on average Monday, January 30, an increase of about $0.10 compared with a week ago, according to AAA. Stacker compiled statistics on gas prices in Providence-Fall River-Warwick (RI only) metro area using data from AAA. Gas prices are current as of January 30. State gas tax data is from World Population Review.
Metros in the Midwestern and Southern U.S. saw the largest price increases week over week, some more than $0.10 per gallon. Pre-pandemic in 2019, gasoline prices were under $2.50 per gallon on average nationwide. World oil markets are still prone to fluctuate due to the conflict in Ukraine between the Western world and Russia.
But refineries have been impacted by extreme winter weather since December, which has also had a lasting effect on prices. Roughly 86% of U.S. refineries are being utilized this week, down from 92% before the December storms and almost unchanged from the week prior, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Providence by the numbers
– Gas current price: $3.42
— Rhode Island average: $3.42
— Rhode Island gas tax: $0.35 per gallon (#12 highest among all states)
– Week change: +$0.06 (+1.9%)
– Year change: +$0.04 (+1.3%)
– Historical expensive gas price: $5.02 (6/13/22)
– Diesel current price: $5.10
– Week change: +$0.00 (0.1%)
– Year change: +$1.39 (+37.4%)
– Historical expensive diesel price: $6.47 (5/18/22)
Metros with the most expensive gas
#1. Lihue (Kauai), HI: $5.38
#2. statewide, HI: $4.93
#3. Kahului, HI: $4.93
Metros with the least expensive gas
#1. Sherman-Denison, TX: $3.04
#2. Lawton, OK: $3.04
#3. Dallas, TX: $3.06
States with the highest gas tax per gallon
#1. Pennsylvania: $0.59
#2. California: $0.53
#3. Washington: $0.52
States with the lowest gas tax per gallon
#1. Alaska: $0.0895
#2. Hawaii: $0.16
#3. Virginia: $0.162
