The national average price for gas hovered over $4 per gallon in 2008. Now, with Joe Biden back in the White House, gas prices have again hit $4 per gallon.
According to AAA, the national average of a regular gallon of gas was $4.009. It is a 40-cent increase from last week.
According to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, gas prices are approaching an all-time high.
A statement from GasBuddy read:
The national average price of gasoline has just surpassed $4 per gallon in the U.S. for the first time since 2008, and stands just 10 cents below the all-time record of $4.103 per gallon, according to GasBuddy, the leading fuel savings platform providing American drivers with the most ways to save money on gas. Prices have spiked across the country due to the Russian war on Ukraine as sanctions cripple Russia’s ability to export crude oil, spiking gas prices by nearly 41 cents in the last seven days alone.
As of Friday, the weekly rise in gas prices was the second largest ever, following the rise of 49 cents per gallon during the week of September 3, 2005. Yesterday’s daily rise of 15.8 cents per gallon was also the second largest daily rise ever, coming close to the record of 18.1 cents per gallon set as Hurricane Katrina tore through the Gulf 17 years ago. Diesel prices, however, didn’t share the same fate as gasoline, as diesel soared to its largest daily gain ever: 22.2 cents per gallon, 6 cents higher than the previous record from 2013.
GasBuddy expects that gasoline prices will continue to rise in the days ahead, and could be just days away from setting a new all-time record high and continuing to rise through summer. Seasonal factors including increased demand for gas, refinery maintenance and the switch to summer blend gas, on top of current geopolitical tensions, could propel prices upward of $4.25 per gallon by Memorial Day.
