Gas Prices Continue To Rise In Massachusetts, Nationwide
BOSTON (CBS) -- Gas prices have gone up another nickel in Massachusetts and across the United States this week, according to AAA. The average price per gallon in the Bay State is $2.69, eight cents lower than the national average of $2.77 a gallon.
The current price of gas in Massachusetts is a quarter higher than one month ago, and 26 cents higher than the price recorded on March 8, 2020.
A winter storm that shut down refineries in Texas caused a spike in prices in recent weeks. AAA said "refinery utilization is at an all-time low and crude oil prices surged by more than $2 to $66 a barrel."
There may not be relief at the pump until the early summer, AAA says.
"With crude oil prices back on the rise, we could see the national average climb towards $2.90 this spring with some relief by early summer," said AAA's Mary Maguire in a statement. "The last time we saw the national average flirt with $3 was nearly three years ago in May 2018. At that time, crude was averaging about $71 per barrel."