Price at the pump got you worried? Here’s why that WA road trip is costing so much
As you continue checking things off your summer bucket list, be sure to keep gasoline expenses in mind — the average price of gas in Washington ranks third-highest in the nation, according to the American Automobile Association.
The average price of gas in Washington was about $3.83 as of Thursday, according to data from the AAA. The average price for Oregon and Idaho was $3.67 and $3.55, respectively. The national average is $3.14.
Washington, Oregon and Idaho are some of the states that have seen a large weekly increase in gas prices, according to AAA’s data. Washington and Oregon have seen a 7 cents per gallon increase while Idaho has seen a 10 cents per gallon bump.
Since the beginning of 2021, the national gas price average rose by 40 percent. It will continue to rise through the end of August, which can bring the national average to over $3.25, according to the AAA.
Gas prices have been rising because of the increased demand for gas, said Kelly Just, public relations and traffic safety program manager for AAA Washington. That goes hand-in-hand with the COVID-19 vaccination rate as more people are gassing up to head outside.
Crude oil prices also are a increasing, Just said. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries has had negotiations on whether crude production should be increased to ease gas prices, but the organization has not reached an agreement, she said.
Washington has seen higher gas prices in the past, and the state’s gas prices are usually higher than the national average, Just said. But the 7 cents per gallon increase per week is a “fair jump,” she said.
“Washington already has one of the highest gas prices,” Just said. “For it to increase another 7 cents is a big leap.”
A gallon of gas in 2020 cost an average of $2.75 during the second week of July, Just said. Washington’s highest average gas price so far was in the same week of July 2014 when it cost $3.97 per gallon.
Just said AAA does not see a decrease in gas prices until September when people go back to their normal routines. In the meantime, people will continue to drive during the summer, especially because a lot were housebound last year, she said.
“AAA is predicting that the (national average) price will rise another 10 to 20 cents between now and the end of August,” Just said.
This story was originally published July 9, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
