Buckle up, West Virginia drivers! While the rest of the nation celebrates falling gas prices, those in the Mountain State, particularly in the northern region, are facing a slight increase at the pump. It's a bit of a head-scratcher, isn't it?
According to the latest Gas Price Report from AAA East Central, the average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in northern West Virginia has ticked up to $2.725, a modest increase of two cents from the previous week. Interestingly, this is still lower than the $3.074 average from this time last year.
Meanwhile, the national picture tells a different story. The national average gas price has actually dropped by one cent, settling at $2.81. This marks the lowest national average in five years! This decline is primarily attributed to a decrease in crude oil prices and an increase in the fuel supply. The current national average is a significant $0.16 lower than a month ago and a whopping $0.25 lower than this time last year.
But here's where it gets controversial... Why the disparity? At the end of Friday's trading session, West Texas Intermediate crude oil settled at $57.32 per barrel, down nine cents. U.S. crude oil inventories are still about 4% below the five-year average for early January. This could be a factor influencing the price difference.
Let's take a closer look at the gas prices across various cities in northern West Virginia:
- Bridgeport: $2.555
- Clarksburg: $2.610
- Huntington: $2.856
- Martinsburg: $2.871
- Morgantown: $2.729
- Parkersburg: $2.573
- Weirton: $2.841
- Wheeling: $2.761
It's worth noting that the region's record high gas price remains at $4.945, set on June 13, 2022.
And this is the part most people miss... Electric vehicle (EV) charging costs are holding steady. The national average cost for public EV charging remained unchanged at 38 cents per kilowatt hour this past week. However, West Virginia continues to rank among the states with the highest public EV charging costs, currently at 53 cents per kilowatt hour – the highest in the country!
AAA will continue to monitor these trends as the new year progresses.
What do you think is causing the price differences? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
