Texas Gas Is Under $3.80 but Still More Than a Dollar Higher Than Last Year
Prices are slipping, but crude near $100 a barrel is holding back the usual fall relief. Diesel is near $5.80 a gallon statewide.
Texas drivers are paying a little less at the pump, but not much. The statewide average for a gallon of regular was $3.7868 on Sunday, according to AAA's state price averages, down from $3.83 in the AAA Texas report of Oct. 15. Diesel averaged $5.7818.
The Oct. 15 price was $1.18 a gallon higher than a year earlier, AAA Texas said, KAUZ reported.
Why prices are stuck
Prices usually fall in autumn as demand drops and cheaper winter-blend gasoline arrives. This year, crude oil near $100 a barrel is limiting that relief, AAA Texas said.
"Gas prices are moving in different directions across Texas, and that's a reflection of the continued volatility we're seeing in the oil market," said Daniel Armbruster, a spokesperson for AAA Texas.
Where it costs the most
In the Oct. 15 report, drivers in El Paso paid the most among major Texas metros at $4.33 a gallon, while the McAllen area paid the least at $3.61, according to the release as published by The Gilmer Mirror. The national average was $4.33, three cents lower than a week earlier and $1.26 higher than a year ago.
Federal data show the same slow drift. The U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly survey put Texas regular at $3.779 a gallon for the week of Oct. 12, down from $3.929 on Sept. 21.
What it means
High fuel costs reach every grocery bill and every work truck, and diesel at nearly $5.80 hits farmers, truckers and contractors hardest. Oil regulation matters too, which is one reason the Railroad Commission race deserves attention. Families squeezed at the pump are also watching a job market that lost 11,100 jobs in September. Shop around, combine trips and budget with care.
