Gas prices are climbing sharply as the spring travel season begins, with the national average rising 28 cents in the past week, according to AAA.
The national average price for a gallon of gas reached $3.884 as of Friday, up from $3.598 a week ago. Prices are also significantly higher than a month ago, when the average stood at $2.929, and above the $3.102 average from a year ago.
AAA said the seasonal increase in demand, driven by warmer weather and more travel, is contributing to the rise in prices.
Despite a recent announcement by the White House to release 172 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve over four months, AAA said the move has not yet provided immediate relief to the oil market as crude prices continue to climb.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, gasoline demand declined slightly last week, while total domestic supply also fell. Gasoline production averaged 9.4 million barrels per day.
Oil prices also edged higher, with West Texas Intermediate crude settling at $96.32 per barrel Wednesday. U.S. crude oil inventories increased by 6.2 million barrels but remain about 1% below the five-year average for this time of year.
AAA reported that California continues to have the highest average gas prices at $5.61 per gallon, followed by Washington and Hawaii. Meanwhile, Oklahoma and Kansas reported the lowest averages at $3.24 per gallon.
Electric vehicle charging costs remained steady, with the national average holding at 41 cents per kilowatt hour at public charging stations. New Jersey was among the more expensive states for charging at 45 cents per kilowatt hour.
Drivers can find current gas and electric charging prices along their route using the AAA TripTik Travel planner.
