CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Gas prices are on their way up in West Virginia and the rest of the country.
In West Virginia, prices for a gallon of regular gas are back to an average of $3.09, and nationally, they’re averaging $3.22, according to AAA. In northern West Virginia, AAA reports averages are lower at $2.98, varying locally:
- $2.992 Bridgeport
- $3.010 Clarksburg
- $3.180 Morgantown
The automotive association said the increasing prices are because of the winter storm that hit much of the United States, including in West Virginia, on Dec. 23.
AAA said the storm caused oil refineries as far south as Texas to have to shut down temporarily, and it had holiday travelers fueling up to hit the road early, leading to an overall increase in demand and an increase in the national average for a gallon of gas to rise 12 cents.
AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in a press release that gas prices will likely continue to rise for a little while longer, but that 2022 will “go down as a record year” with a national annual average of $3.96.
One year ago, gas prices averaged $3.21 per gallon of regular gas in West Virginia.
In the release, AAA said the previous peak years, 2011 through 2014, were 40 to 50 cents lower than $3.96.
AAA did not provide an estimate as to when it expects gas prices to stop increasing.
Meanwhile, diesel prices remain higher than average, with a gallon averaging at $5.03 in West Virginia on Jan. 3, 2023, compared to $3.61 one year ago. West Virginia’s record average diesel price was set on June 20, 2022, at $5.99 per gallon.
As of the latest available Energy Information Administration data, on Dec. 23, 2022, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve’s levels were at 375,128 thousand barrels, the lowest the reserve has been at since December 1983.
