COLUMBUS – Gas prices are tracking up as the summer travel season gets underway but may be leveling off not that the annual switch to expensive summer-blend fuel is complete.
A gallon of regular gas was averaging $2.65 in Columbus, according to Monday’s survey from auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and WEX Inc. That’s up about 17 cents from a week ago, and 43 cents from a month ago.
The statewide average price was $2.60, a 38-cent increase over last month’s price, and higher than Monday’s national average of $2.36, which was 4 cents higher than a week ago.
Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday the average price, according to her bi-weekly survey, jumped by six cents over the past two weeks to $2.37 a gallon, mostly because of a continuing increase in crude oil prices.
The price of oil topped $50 a barrel recently for the first time since July. However, analysts expect gasoline and airline fares to stay relatively low at least through the summer travel season.
Lundberg says gas prices should stabilize because producers were required to complete the switch to summer-blend gasoline last Wednesday.