Memorial Day weekend travelers saw a nearly eight-cent increase in gas prices in Delaware during the past week.
The $3.53 price was down about a dozen cents from a month ago, a few pennies above a year ago.
New Jersey, which has a gas tax that’s about 20 cents higher than Delaware’s, posted an average gas price that was a couple of pennies lower than the First State average.
The national average for a gallon of gasoline wobbled slightly since last Thursday before settling at $3.60. The lack of pump price movement is typical in the days leading up to Memorial Day.
AAA has forecasted a record 38.4 million drivers hitting the road for the long weekend, so the price needle could point a bit higher, at least temporarily.
Membership stores in northern Delaware had the lowest pump prices, with the Costco near Christiana Mall charging $3.26 a gallon and BJ’s matching that figure
“Since the pandemic, the summer driving season has not seen a surge in demand, which can push pump prices higher,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “So it will be interesting to see if this year bucks that trend. This week’s move by the Biden Administration to sell off the million barrel Northeast Gasoline Supply Reserve might help stave off any regional pump price surges, but likely won’t move the national average that much.”
Delaware Tuesday average gas prices
| Regular | Mid-Grade | Premium | Diesel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Avg. | $3.533 | $4.060 | $4.335 | $3.948 |
| Yesterday Avg. | $3.531 | $4.059 | $4.331 | $3.946 |
| Week Ago Avg. | $3.449 | $3.961 | $4.259 | $3.771 |
| Month Ago Avg. | $3.654 | $4.157 | $4.445 | $3.984 |
| Year Ago Avg. | $3.490 | $3.931 | $4.201 | $3.783 |
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand rose unexpectedly from 8.87 million barrels a day to 9.31 last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks decreased slightly from 227.8 to 226.8 million barrels, while gasoline production increased last week, averaging 10 million barrels daily. An increase in gasoline demand paired with falling oil prices could cause pump prices to remain relatively flat.
At the close of Friday’s trading session, crude oil ended the week at $78 a barrel, recovering slightly from mid-week lows.
Drivers can find current gas prices along their route using the AAA TripTik Travel planner.
