Arizona's average for a gallon of regular gasoline jumped 20 cents this past week and $1.37 in the last month, reaching $4.63. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is up 10 cents from last week and one dollar since last month, climbing to $3.98. Crude oil prices remain high as the Iran conflict nears the 4-week mark.

“The national average could reach $4/gallon in the coming days for the first time since August 2022,” said Julian Paredes, spokesperson for AAA Mountain West Group. “Gasoline demand remains on the rise as spring break season continues, another factor in surging pump prices.”

Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.

Enter promo code for special subscription rate offer. 

Current subscribers! Please enjoy your online access to Yuma Sun.

You can access your news from your desktop computer, laptop, mobile device or tablet.

You can also go to the app store to download a user friendly 'Yuma Sun' app.

Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code.

Promotional Rates were found for your code.

Sorry, an error occurred.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased last week from 8.72 million b/d to 8.92 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 244 million barrels to 241.4 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.7 million barrels per day.

Fuel Prices Around the State:

AAA Shares Tips to Help Drivers Save on Gas

Avoid Speeding: Fuel economy peaks at around 50 mph on most cars, then drops off as speeds increase. Driving the recommended speed limit can increase fuel economy between 7 and 14 percent.

Regular vs. Premium: Pay close attention to the words “recommended” and “required.” If regular gas is recommended for your vehicle, that’s all you need. Choosing premium when your car doesn’t require it will only cost you money and doesn’t improve fuel economy.

Remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle (e.g., trunk, cargo area, etc. ) as weight increases the amount of effort it takes to move the vehicle.

Avoid Excessive Idling: When idling, car engines use up to one-half gallons of fuel per hour. Warm engines take about 10 seconds worth of fuel to restart. Shut off your engine when stopped for more than a minute and if it's safe to do so.

Check Tire Pressure and Align Tires: Maintaining proper tire pressure reduces your tire's friction with the road. Less friction means less energy is needed to move, resulting in using less gas. Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by 0.6 percent on average.

Take Advantage Of Fuel Rewards: AAA members can save at the pump over Spring Break by signing up for Shell Fuel Rewards®. Members who register now through April 30 will get 35¢/gallon off their first fill at participating Shell stations, and all AAA Fuel Rewards members will save 10¢/gallon during that time period, which is an additional 5¢/gallon compared to the standard Fuel Rewards discount.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI fell $2.03 to settle at $90.32 a barrel. The EIA reports crude oil inventories increased by 6.9 million barrels from the previous week. At 456.2 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 0.1% above the five-year average for this time of year.

The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station stayed the same this past week at 41 cents. In Arizona it’s 43 cents.

The nation’s top 10 most expensive gasoline markets are California ($5.84), Hawaii ($5.33), Washington ($5.30), Nevada ($4.86), Oregon ($4.86), Arizona ($4.63), Alaska ($4.57), Idaho ($4.25), Illinois ($4.23), and Utah ($4.16).

The nation's top 10 least expensive gasoline markets are Oklahoma ($3.25), Kansas ($3.27), Iowa ($3.31), Nebraska ($3.38), Arkansas ($3.39), South Dakota ($3.41), Missouri ($3.42), Minnesota ($3.43), North Dakota ($3.43), and Mississippi ($3.56).

The nation’s top 10 most expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are West Virginia (52 cents), Hawaii (51 cents), Alaska (50 cents), New Hampshire (47 cents), Louisiana (47 cents), South Carolina (46 cents), California (46 cents), New Jersey (45 cents), Arkansas (44 cents), and Idaho (43 cents).

The nation’s top 10 least expensive states for public charging per kilowatt hour are Kansas (29 cents), Missouri (32 cents), Utah (32 cents), Nebraska (33 cents), Iowa (34 cents), Maryland (34 cents), Vermont (34 cents), South Dakota (34 cents), Delaware (36 cents), and New Mexico (36 cents).

© Yuma Sun