San Marcos area sees gas prices rise over 10 cents

Drivers in the San Marcos area saw a rise in gas prices over the past week, according to AAA Texas.

The average price per gallon of regular unleaded fuel was $2.72 in the San Marcos/Austin area on Thursday — a 14-cent increase since Dec. 22.   Average gas prices in the area are 14-cents higher than this time last year.

Texas saw an overall 13-cent increase per gallon of regular unleaded fuel — a rise from $2.62 last week to $2.75 on Thursday, according to AAA Texas. Average gas prices in Texas are $0.13 higher than this time last year. Texans are paying the second lowest for gas in the U.S., AAA Texas stated.

AAA Texas said gas prices have risen because of rising crude oil prices. Prices for a barrel of crude oil have increased from around $70 to approximately $80 this week. AAA Texas also cited the recent cold weather as a factor in rising prices. Gas prices could go down as COVID-19 cases go up in China, as the country is the world’s biggest importer of oil, AAA Texas stated.

“The dynamics of crude oil and gasoline markets continue to be volatile as analysts weigh domestic and international demand outlooks coupled with supply impacts from the war between Ukraine and Russia,” AAA Texas spokesperson Joshua Zuber said. “To achieve the best fuel economy to save on higher fuel prices, practice safe driving habits, proper vehicle maintenance and compare gas station prices using an app such as the AAA mobile app.”

Nationwide, gas prices increased by six cents, according to AAA Texas. The national average is $3.05, GasBuddy said.  The national average price of diesel has decreased by 8.6 cents since last week and was at $4.68 per gallon, GasBuddy said.

“We’re still waiting for the national average to fall below $3 per gallon, something that is suddenly a bit less likely given the extreme cold weather, interrupting refining operations in the south, curbing gasoline production and potentially driving prices up slightly,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “While some of the nation’s lowest priced gas stations will probably be forced to raise prices slightly, with some declines still happening in the West Coast, there remains a chance, albeit smaller one, that we could still see the national average fall below $3 per gallon. With the New Year on the doorstep, however, the biggest question motorists have remains what will happen in 2023.”

In Texas, drivers in the El Paso area are paying the most on average at $3.25 per gallon, while drivers in the Corpus Christi area are paying the least at $2.60.