Evergreen State residents spending more green on gas
MOSES LAKE — Prices for gasoline, both in Washington and nationwide, crept up over the last week, according to the latest survey from GasBuddy, released Monday.
The average price for a gallon of gas in Washington was $3.84, compared to a national average price of $3.09. That was an increase of 3.4 cents per gallon in Washington, the survey said.
The national average price per gallon increased 6.5 cents over the previous week. The national average is 4.5 cents higher than a month ago and 1.8 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, the report said.
The national average price for a gallon of diesel was $3.606, the GasBuddy report said. That’s an increase of 8.1 cents over the previous week.
Nevertheless, average gas prices in Washington dropped between December and January. The average price in the state is 11.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, and 3 cents per gallon lower than the same time in December.
The cheapest price in Washington was $2.89 per gallon. The GasBuddy survey said the highest-priced gas was $5.09 per gallon, but Columbia Basin Herald staff found a station selling gas for $5.19 per gallon.
The average price of gas was $3.95 per gallon in Washington on the same date in January 2024. Gas was $3.97 per gallon in Washington in January 2023. The average price of gas in Washington has been 50-80 cents higher than the national average since 2020, according to GasBuddy statistics.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis, said a jump in prices was to be expected.
“It was only a matter of time before the national average began to rise, with oil prices last week reaching their highest level since July,” De Haan wrote in the survey release. “Diesel prices have also jumped, driven by cold weather that has boosted heating oil demand.”
The inauguration of President Donald Trump also could have an impact on the price of gas and diesel, De Haan said, depending on the new administration’s energy and trade policy.
“We’ll be closely monitoring potential impacts from any (executive) orders, while the threat of tariffs and possible retribution from Canada remain top of mind. However, the current increase is not yet the traditional seasonal rise, which also is likely to push prices higher and could begin in a few weeks.”
