AAA projects they won’t hit the high prices of last year.
Motorists have probably noticed that gasoline prices have been going up for the past several weeks. AAA Mid-Atlantic says Maryland’s average price at the pump this week is $2.12 per gallon, which is similar to the national average. That’s a two-cent increase from last week.
“We’re looking at record high fuel demand, declining refinery production and rising oil costs all being factors in what we’re seeing with the prices at the pump inching up a bit,” says Ragina Cooper Averella, Government and Public Affairs Manager for AAA.
But she notes we’re not seeing the high prices we experience in 2015. “While we’ve been seeing a slight increase, nationally we’re still paying 36-cents less than we were this time last year, and here in Maryland, 33-cents less. So that’s good news,” says Averella.
This price increase comes as warm weather is encouraging drivers to hit the roads. “The actual relatively lower prices for gasoline that we’re seeing compared to last year is reportedly prompting more drivers to take to the road, fueling that record high fuel demand,” she says.
So could gas prices hit highs that we’ve seen in past years, Averella was asked. “Well, we typically do see a slight uptick as we approach the summer driving season,” she says. “However, even with the slight increases, we are not expecting to see gas prices reach their 2015 summer peak price, which was $2.62 per gallon.”