Charlotte, N.C. (August 9, 2021) – Gas prices in the Carolinas are still trending more expensive as crude prices fluctuate but remain high amid growing global COVID concerns.
“We’re continuing to see very strong gasoline demand during the peak summer driving season,” said Tiffany Wright, Public Affairs Director, AAA – The Auto Club Group in the Carolinas. “August can be a busy month at the pump with last minute road trips. We can see that reflected within the latest demand rate, which has been a little higher than the same time period in 2019.”
North Carolina’s current gas price average is $2.93, seeing no changes on the week. This average is 3 cents more than a month ago and 99 cents more than last year. South Carolina’s current gas price average is $2.88, seeing a 1-cent increase on the week. This average is 2 cents more than a month ago and $1.00 more than last year. South Carolina is also a part of the nation’s top 10 least expensive markets.
Today’s national average is $3.19. That is the most expensive gas price average of the year as well as $1.02 more than a year ago, a nickel more than a month ago and 2 cents more than a week ago. Pump prices fluctuated across the county last week with states seeing as much as a nine-cent jump to a seven-cent decrease. The variation in prices is partly attributed to the U.S. seeing an increase in demand and decrease in stocks, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Crude oil prices dropped below $70/bbl at the end of last week in reaction to concerns about the delta variant, growing COVID case numbers and the possibility of potential lockdowns. While crude is a little cheaper, gas prices are still positioned to remain high in August.
A stronger dollar and market concern about the impact of new coronavirus infections on crude demand pushed prices lower at the end of last week. Crude prices also declined after the EIA’s latest report showed that total domestic crude stocks increased by 3.6 million bbl to 439.2 million bbl. For this week, crude prices could decrease further if the market continues to worry that crude demand will decline as restrictions are imposed to halt transmission of COVID-19.
For updated state and metro prices log on to https://gasprices.aaa.com/
About AAA – The Auto Club Group
The Auto Club Group (ACG) is the second largest AAA club in North America with more than 14 million members across 14 U.S. states, the province of Quebec and two U.S. territories. ACG and its affiliates provide members with roadside assistance, insurance products, banking and financial services, travel offerings and more. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation with more than 62 million members in the United States and Canada. AAA’s mission is to protect and advance freedom of mobility and improve traffic safety. For more information, get the AAA Mobile app, visit AAA.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.