As of early March, South Carolina is grappling with a surge in gas prices. Over the past week, the state’s average gas prices have climbed by 8.4 cents per gallon, pushing the average cost per gallon above the $3 mark for the first time since last year.
Based on a survey covering more than 3,000 gas stations across the state, GasBuddy reports the present average gas price in South Carolina is $3.01 per gallon. This is an 11.2 cent increase when compared to last month, but virtually unchanged compared to this time last year.
The least expensive gas in South Carolina was reported in a station selling at $2.72 per gallon, while the most expensive went for $3.59 per gallon—an 87 cent difference.
In the Tri-County area, the cheapest gas as of the first Monday of March was selling at a station in Moncks Corner at $2.82 per gallon.
On a national level, the average gas price has risen by 10 cents—presently averaging $3.34 per gallon. The national average has gone up by 22 cents since last month and is currently 3.2 cents lower than last year’s figures, based on GasBuddy data sourced from more than 11 million reports.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, was not surprised by these recent developments. “A majority of the nation’s 50 states have seen gasoline prices rise, with the national average posting a gain for the second straight week, a trend that is hardly surprising for this time of year, and will likely continue as the entire nation has now made the first step toward summer gasoline,” he explained.
De Haan anticipates that while the pain at the pump “has been manageable” with prices only about 30 cents higher than mid-January, this trend could shift. As we move closer to summer and refineries shift production to summer blends, we typically see a drop in availability causing prices to rise further.
Not all fuel trends followed the same patterns, however. Over the past week, the price of diesel fell by 2.7 cents, averaging now at $4.03 per gallon. Nevertheless, drivers, supply chain companies, and citizens alike will surely keep a watchful eye on the trend in diesel fuel costs—as well as gas prices—as we advance further into 2024.
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