South Carolina – Last week was marked by fluctuating fuel prices and South Carolina drivers have seen a noticeable but slow rise in gas prices. This gives drivers hope that things might get better soon and see relatively low gas prices in coming period. In the Palmetto State, gas prices have gone up by 9.4 cents in the last week, making the average price of a gallon $3.10.
Prices are now 18.5 cents higher than they were a month ago, which is part of a larger trend that has been seen over the past month. Even with this rise, prices are 5.4 cents lower now than they were at the same time last year. There is a big difference in gas prices across the state. On Sunday, the lowest price was $2.77 per gallon and the highest was $3.59 per gallon, a difference of 82 cents.
The increase in gas prices across the United States is similar to that in South Carolina. In the last week, the average price has gone up by 6.2 cents to $3.40 per gallon. Prices are 23 cents higher than they were last month, but they are still 4.5 cents lower than they were a year ago. The national average price of gasoline, on the other hand, has gone down slightly, by 1.3 cents, to $4.02 per gallon.
The head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, Patrick De Haan, explained why gas price changes happen at certain times of the year.
“Much of the seasonal rise that happens this time of year is a culmination of refinery maintenance, the switch to summer gasoline, and rising demand,” De Haan said.
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He remains cautiously optimistic about the near future, suggesting that “if refineries continue to boost the output of products like gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, it could mean earlier-than-expected relief for drivers.” However, De Haan also cautions that the changeover to summer gasoline is still underway, which could maintain upward pressure on prices, albeit at a potentially slower pace if refinery output improves.
