Gas Prices Dip, But Expect To Rise With Incoming Caribbean Storms

Image: Group of young people going on a road trip. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock/Alessandro Biascioli)

by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 9:10 AM ET, Fri August 2, 2024

While the national average price for a gallon of gas dropped four cents last week to $3.48, new potential storms in the Caribbean Sea could drive oil prices higher, according to a new AAA report.?

The national average is also 30 cents lower than it was the same time last year, but pain at the pump could once more return. Back in May, experts at the Energy Information Administration predicted that the average gas price could rise as high as $4 this summer, due in large part to the Atlantic hurricane season.?

“The oil market is volatile, and the threat of a hurricane impacting production and refining will certainly grab its attention,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “Add in the rising tensions in the Middle East, and oil prices are poised to push higher.”

Since last Thursday, July 25, seven states saw the highest weekly changes in their gasoline averages, leading to lower prices. Indiana welcomed a 13 cent decrease in price, Michigan saw an 11 cent decrease, Ohio saw a 10 cent decrease, South Carolina saw a 9 cent decrease and the states of Wisconsin, Kentucky and Illinois each saw a 6 cent decrease.?

Yet some states’ gas prices have also risen: Colorado’s average gas price per gallon rose 7 cents, while Idaho and South Dakota’s gas price rose 6 cents.?

The top ten states with the least expensive gas offer prices ranging from $2.96 to $3.19 per gallon, and include:?

Mississippi
Louisiana
Arkansas
Texas
Alabama
Oklahoma
Tennessee
South Carolina
Kansas
Missouri

As electric vehicles continue increasing across the nation, AAA’s reporting now includes the cost for charging electric vehicles across the nation.?

The least expensive states for electric vehicle charging range from 22 cents to 30 cents per L2 commercial charging per kilowatt hour, and are as follows:?

Kansas
Missouri
Delaware
Texas
Nebraska
Utah
Wisconsin
Vermont
Michigan
Washington, D.C.?

The most expensive charge electric vehicles for a range of 56 cents to 40 cents per kilowatt hour, and include:?

Hawai’i
West Virginia
Idaho
South Dakota
Arkansas
Kentucky
Montana
Tennessee
New Hampshire
Alaska

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Lacey Pfalz

Associate Editor

Lacey Pfalz is Associate Editor at TravelPulse. She's a passionate advocate of responsible travel and believes the best travel experiences happen outside of a planned itinerary. Lacey currently lives in rural Wisconsin. She can be reached at lpfalz@ntmllc.com.