VIRGINIA BEACH — After weeks of little movement, the national average for a gallon of gas increased by about five cents since last week to $3.12, according to AAA.
Even though the price of crude oil remains below $70 a barrel, prices at the pump are going up as more refineries make the seasonal switch to summer-blend gasoline, AAA added. Summer-blend gas is less likely to evaporate in warmer temperatures and is more expensive to produce.
The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station stayed the same at 34 cents, according to the association.
According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand decreased from 9.18 barrels per day last week to 8.81 million. The total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 241.1 million barrels to 240.6 million. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.6 million barrels per day.
Thursday’s national average for a gallon of gas was $3.12, four cents lower than a month ago and about 40 cents lower than a year ago, according to AAA.
Locally, the gas price average for the Commonwealth Thursday was $2.93 — seven cents higher than a week ago and nine cents lower than a month ago. In Hampton Roads, prices increased 11 cents to $2.95, which is four cents higher than a month ago and 42 cents lower than a year ago.
