Though Tennessee ranks tenth-cheapest in gas prices among all 50 states, prices for a barrel of unleaded fuel are still on the rise, and Tennesseans can expect that trend to continue.
“AAA’s Tennessee Gas Price average is now $2.88 which is the same as one month ago and nearly 95 cents more than one year ago,” according to a WSMV report.
According to AAA, 93 percent of Tennessee gas stations still have prices below $3.00 per gallon, with the cheapest 10 percent hovering around $2.70 per gallon. The highest 10 percent of gas stations are charging an average of $3.13 per gallon.
But drivers can expect gas prices to trend towards the higher tenth percentile, not the lower.
“Robust gasoline demand and more expensive crude oil prices are pushing gas prices higher,” said AAA spokeswoman Megan Cooper. “We had hoped that global crude production increases would bring some relief at the pump this month, but weekend OPEC negotiations fell through with no agreement reached. As a result, crude prices are set to surge to a seven-year high.”
The trend of rising prices at the pump has also largely coincided with the Biden Administration’s transition into the White House.
“In Tennessee, the most expensive metro markets include Memphis ($2.93), Johnson City ($2.92) and Nashville ($2.91),” the report said. “The least expensive markets are Clarksville, ($2.85), Chattanooga ($2.85) and Kingsport ($2.87).”
According to AAA, gas prices nationwide have increased 40 percent since the beginning of 2021. The national average on January 1 was $2.25 per gallon. Today it is $3.13 per gallon. By the end of August, AAA expects that the average price for a gallon of gas to be around $3.25.
The last time gas was that expensive was October of 2014.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a contributor at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter. Email tips to dabroscareports@gmail.com.