Washington fuel prices up 75 cents this year after 15 weeks of price hikes
(The Center Square) – The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded was sitting at $4.59 statewide on Monday, up from $4.57 a week prior, according to AAA data. This marks over three months of fuel price increases this calendar year alone for Washingtonians, following the implementation of the new carbon tax earlier this year.
This two-cent per gallon increase moved opposite the national average, which fell from $3.66 per gallon to $3.61 per gallon, a five cent per gallon decrease over the same time period.
“The national average reached $3.68 last week, and that might be the peak price for now,” AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross in a statement. “As long as the oil cost keeps wobbling around the low to mid $70s per barrel, drivers will benefit when they fuel up.”
While that oil price may be reflected in the five-cent per gallon decrease nationally, residents of the Evergreen State have to dig deeper into their wallets than most. Washington’s pump prices currently stand at the fourth most expensive nationally, with only California, Hawaii, and Arizona being more expensive.
Washington’s $4.59 per gallon is 98 cents per gallon higher than the national average of $3.61 per gallon. It is also $1.51 per gallon above the nation’s least expensive fuel cost of $3.08 per gallon, currently paid by Mississippi residents.
In Washington, intra-state variance remains high at $1.25 per gallon, down eight cents per gallon from the week prior. The outliers this week, again San Juan and Asotin counties, represent the most and least expensive gas prices statewide at $5.14 and $3.89 per gallon respectively.
This price variance still largely follows the Cascade Range, with residents to the west paying a higher premium at the pump than residents to the east.
On top of these higher prices, as of Jan. 1 of this year, Washingtonians also have a new cap-and-trade system to pay for at the pump.
