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Extra
Gas up 20 cents in three weeks
Average pump price tops $2.50 a gallon, according to Lundberg survey. See gas prices for all 50 states -- and a few countries that make our prices seem cheap.
By MSN Money news services
Retail gas prices hit another record high over the past three weeks, mirroring a rapid increase in the cost of crude oil, according to a nationwide survey released Sunday.
The average price for all three grades rose nearly 20 cents to $2.53 in the three weeks ending Aug. 12, said Trilby Lundberg, who publishes the semimonthly Lundberg Survey of 7,000 gas stations around the country. The figures were not adjusted for inflation.
In the same three-week period, crude oil price futures rose about $8.21. A barrel of oil produces about 42 gallons of gasoline, resulting in a price increase of 19.6 cents per gallon -- nearly identical to the 19.8 cent rise in the price of gas at the pumps, Lundberg said.
AAA's daily FuelGaugeReport, which surveys stations in every state, Monday reported a 7-cent rise from the day before in unleaded prices. Nationally, the average price of unleaded is $2.48, AAA reported.
There was scant good news for consumers in the latest report.
Demand for gas will remain high through August, but should drop after Labor Day. Prices should soften after that assuming underlying crude oil prices hold stable and refinery activity and shipments aren't interrupted by natural disasters, such as major hurricanes, Lundberg said.
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Retail prices have risen an average of 70 cents since the beginning of the year and are up 62.7 cents from last August, Lundberg said.
Feeling it yet?
Adjusted for inflation, prices have yet to climb to the record levels reached in the 1980s.
Gas prices in March 1981 would be $3.03 per gallon expressed in today's dollars, Lundberg said, while a barrel of oil would be about $90.
"I'm feeling it," said driver Adolfo Fernandez, a Los Angeles resident who was filling his BMW Sunday with premium unleaded at a cost of $2.97 per gallon. "I feel sorry for the people who really feel it and can't afford it."
According to the survey, self-serve regular averaged $2.50 a gallon nationwide. Midgrade was pegged at $2.59, with premium-grade was at $2.69.
Among the stations included in the survey, the highest price for unleaded regular was in San Diego at $2.76. The best deal was in Cheyenne, Wyo., at $2.31 a gallon.
Even at $2.50 a gallon, U.S. gasoline prices remain less than half of those paid in Europe. In early August, a gallon of fuel would have cost you $5.74 in Belgium, $5.95 in the United Kingdom, and a startling $6.50 in the Netherlands.
| Compare gas prices in your state | | State | Regular | Mid | Premium | Diesel | State | Regular | Mid | Premium | Diesel | | Alaska | $2.50 | $2.65 | $2.80 | $2.55 | Montana | $2.42 | $2.52 | $2.65 | $2.62 | | Alabama | $2.41 | $2.57 | $2.65 | $2.44 | North Carolina | $2.43 | $2.58 | $2.69 | $2.46 | | Arkansas | $2.39 | $2.52 | $2.68 | $2.44 | North Dakota | $2.47 | $2.56 | $2.65 | $2.51 | | Arizona | $2.52 | $2.63 | $2.78 | $2.79 | Nebraska | $2.50 | $2.56 | $2.63 | $2.52 | | California | $2.76 | $2.94 | $2.99 | $3.12 | New Hampshire | $2.46 | $2.66 | $2.76 | $2.52 | | Colorado | $2.45 | $2.62 | $2.74 | $2.57 | New Jersey | $2.43 | $2.61 | $2.70 | $2.45 | | Connecticut | $2.52 | $2.74 | $2.81 | $2.67 | New Mexico | $2.52 | $2.68 | $2.80 | $2.56 | | District of Columbia | $2.56 | $2.73 | $2.81 | $2.65 | Nevada | $2.65 | $2.80 | $2.90 | $2.89 | | Delaware | $2.52 | $2.68 | $2.80 | $2.56 | New York | $2.56 | $2.74 | $2.80 | $2.70 | | Florida | $2.48 | $2.68 | $2.73 | $2.54 | Ohio | $2.48 | $2.64 | $2.75 | $2.54 | | Georgia | $2.44 | $2.62 | $2.74 | $2.43 | Oklahoma | $2.38 | $2.46 | $2.60 | $2.38 | | Hawaii | $2.75 | $2.91 | $2.96 | $2.96 | Oregon | $2.59 | $2.73 | $2.77 | $2.82 | | Iowa | $2.40 | $2.52 | $2.64 | $2.45 | Pennsylvania | $2.46 | $2.59 | $2.71 | $2.59 | | Idaho | $2.44 | $2.58 | $2.65 | $2.71 | Rhode Island | $2.56 | $2.72 | $2.81 | $2.60 | | Illinois | $2.57 | $2.76 | $2.85 | $2.60 | South Carolina | $2.34 | $2.49 | $2.61 | $2.37 | | Indiana | $2.50 | $2.69 | $2.76 | $2.49 | South Dakota | $2.50 | $2.66 | $2.77 | $2.50 | | Kansas | $2.46 | $2.52 | $2.62 | $2.50 | Tennessee | $2.38 | $2.52 | $2.64 | $2.39 | | Kentucky | $2.43 | $2.61 | $2.73 | $2.41 | Texas | $2.44 | $2.58 | $2.67 | $2.44 | | Louisiana | $2.40 | $2.55 | $2.67 | $2.43 | Utah | $2.38 | $2.51 | $2.62 | $2.69 | | Massachusetts | $2.51 | $2.70 | $2.80 | $2.58 | Virginia | $2.43 | $2.54 | $2.64 | $2.43 | | Maryland | $2.53 | $2.69 | $2.75 | $2.53 | Vermont | $2.41 | $2.59 | $2.70 | $2.60 | | Maine | $2.47 | $2.66 | $2.74 | $2.53 | Washington | $2.63 | $2.73 | $2.86 | $2.84 | | Michigan | $2.55 | $2.70 | $2.81 | $2.57 | Wisconsin | $2.55 | $2.65 | $2.77 | $2.54 | | Minnesota | $2.44 | $2.54 | $2.61 | $2.47 | West Virginia | $2.48 | $2.60 | $2.73 | $2.54 | | Missouri | $2.40 | $2.49 | $2.64 | $2.39 | Wyoming | $2.35 | $2.46 | $2.62 | $2.53 | | Mississippi | $2.39 | $2.52 | $2.63 | $2.41 | U.S. average | $2.48 | $2.64 | $2.73 | $2.55 |
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Source: AAA daily Fuel Gauge Report as of 8/15/2005
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