After increasing by about eight cents last week, the average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is nearly five cents more expensive this week at $2.641 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.
State averages in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states are mostly more expensive on the week, with pump prices ranging from as expensive as $2.61 in Pennsylvania to as cheap as $2.18 in Tennessee.
For a second week, the region saw a substantial drop in inventories. According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), regional inventory decreased by nearly 2 million barrels to 67.5 million, the lowest level since early January. In addition, refinery utilization dropped from 69.7 to 64 percent as refineries in Delaware, Philadelphia, and New Jersey went offline to undergo maintenance.
This week’s average prices: Western Pennsylvania Average $2.641
Average price during the week of February 19, 2019 $2.595
Average price during the week of February 26, 2018 $2.850
The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:
$2.628 Altoona
$2.613 Beaver
$2.755 Bradford
$2.647 Brookville
$2.567 Butler
$2.698 Clarion
$2.673 Du Bois
$2.657 Erie
$2.612 Greensburg
$2.691 Indiana
$2.666 Jeannette
$2.678 Kittanning
$2.586 Latrobe
$2.696 Meadville
$2.616 Mercer
$2.537 New Castle
$2.698 New Kensington
$2.641 Pittsburgh
$2.577 Sharon
$2.643 Uniontown
$2.703 Warren
$2.528 Washington
On the National Front
Motorists can fill up for $2.50 or less at most gas stations throughout the country, despite more than 40 states seeing gas price averages increase on the week. At $2.39, the national gas price average is eight cents more expensive than last week and 12 cents more expensive than last month, yet remains 12 cents cheaper year-over-year.
Nationwide, refineries have been undergoing maintenance, partly unplanned as the result of poor weather, and partly to prepare to produce spring and summer gasoline. Even with pump prices on the rise, mostly decreasing demand has helped to offset major increases, keeping gas under $2.50 for most of the country.
At the close of Friday’s formal trading session on the NYMEX, West Texas Intermediate increased 30 cents to settle at $57.26 – setting a new high for crude prices this year. If crude prices sustain at these higher levels, they could potentially send pump prices higher this spring.
Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.
AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 80 local offices in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia serving 2.7 million members. News releases are available at news.eastcentral.aaa.com. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
For More Information, Contact:
Jim Garrity, Public & Community Relations Manager
Desk: 412-365-7274 / Cell: 412-905-9021 / Email: Garrity.James@aaaec.com
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