WORCESTER – After gasoline supplies switched over to summer blend fuel last week, the price available to consumers for gas has jumped by 19 cents across Massachusetts. AAA says that softening gasoline demand, falling oil prices and growing oil and gas inventories could stave off even more rapid price increases—for the time being.
Summer blend fuel is formulated differently, containing about two percent butane, higher than in winter blend gas. Summer blend fuel is formulated to prevent excess evaporation when temperatures rise. Evaporation can cause vapor lock in an engine in high temperatures and contributes to ground-level ozone and smog levels.
According to AAA, the average gas price in Massachusetts is up 19 cents over last week ($3.37), averaging $3.56 per gallon. Today’s price is 27 cents higher than a month ago ($3.29) and eight cents higher than a year ago ($3.48). Massachusetts’s average gas price is 11 cents lower than the national average.
“Drivers might be seeing red at the gas pump this week, but there are signs that the pace of price increases could ease,” said Mark Schieldrop, Senior Spokesperson for AAA Northeast. “It’s not unusual to see a lull in demand between the end of spring breaks and Memorial Day. Regional gasoline inventories are ahead of last year’s levels – and growing. And oil prices, which had been climbing since the start of the year, fell sharply last week after markets digested the latest developments in the Middle East and lackluster demand figures from China, the world’s largest oil importer.”
AAA Northeast’s April 22 survey of fuel prices found the current national average to be up four cents from last week ($3.63), averaging $3.67 a gallon. Today’s national average price is 14 cents higher than a month ago ($3.53) and was the same price on this day last year ($3.67).
Here are the current average prices and trends for Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
