AAA says the price of crude oil has gone up by $7 per barrel since mid-December.
Towson, Md (KM). The trend when it comes to gasoline prices is on the upswing, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Unfortunately, at a time of year when gas prices traditionally decline, we are seeing an upward trend, not only here in Maryland, but across the country,” says spokeswoman Christine Delise.
AAA says the price of crude oil has been going up since last month. “Up $7.00 per barrel since mid-December. They’re been trading in the $60 per barrel range. We’re also seeing the demand for gasoline rise,” she says.
Winter is not usually a major driving season such as spring and summer. But Delise says the demand for gasoline is 5% higher than last year. “Part of that could be due to the colder weather. And then you have mixed in some nice, warm spring-like days. And you add to that an improving economy so motorists are getting out more,” she says.
AAA says gasoline prices normally go up as the winter comes to an end. “Usually by mid-February, refineries start to shut down for maintenance so they can begin to prepare to produce the summer blend gasoline. That’s mean often there’s a little bit of shortage of gas supplies as refineries are taken off line,” she says.
As of Monday, the average price of unleaded regular at the pump is $2.58 per gallon, which is an increase of one-cent compared to Sunday. In Frederick on Monday, the auto club says the price at the pump is $2.56 per gallon, a drop of one-cent from the day before.
There are a number of resources available for motorists when they head out so they can find the lowest price in their communities or their destinations: Fuel Price Finder at aaa.com/fuelfinder which locates the lowest prices in your area; AAA Cost Calculator at GasPrice AAA.com/AAA-gas-cost-calculator which helps budget travel expenses; Trip Tik Mobile AAA.co/mobile which plots fuel prices on your travel route.
By Kevin McManus