Utah motorists have the perception that the prices they pay at the gas pump are higher than the national average. Not so, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report, which tracks gasoline prices nationwide. While the national average price increased in recent weeks, Utah’s average price fell 17 cents in the past month.
Last week, Utah’s average price of $2.18 per gallon was 27thhighest in the country. Even with the drop, the price is still 13 cents higher than a year ago. All of the seven Utah cities AAA surveys experienced signifi cant decreases since the last AAA Fuel Gauge Report on Nov. 8. Provo had the greatest decrease, 25 cents, and the lowest average price at $2.08. Vernal reported the highest average price at $2.35. Overall, though, Utah’s average gas price trails the national average.
“OPEC reached an agreement on Nov. 30 to cut oil production by 1.2 million barrels a day beginning in January 2017. The agreement caused oil prices to increase and pushed the national average price higher,” said Rolayne Fairclough, AAA Utah spokesperson. “While the proposed cuts in production have had the intended effect on prices, market watchers look to sustained compliance to these production cuts among oil-producing countries to determine their longterm effectiveness.”
The proposed cuts in oil production have pushed prices higher, with drivers in the Midwest and parts of the South seeing the greatest increases.
AAA’s Fuel Gauge Report surveys 100,000 self-serve gas stations nationwide daily.