VW gas prices rise; still under state ave.

VW independent/submitted information

Low gasoline prices in Van Wert have finally trended higher after remaining at $2.52 for several weeks, although all local prices remain under the statewide average. All but two local service stations are now at $2.59 cents a gallon. Stations at $2.59 include Murphy USA, Lassus Handy Dandy, both Pak-A-Sak Marathon Stations, the Shell station, and the One Stop Shop station.

The only two stations with a different price are the Marathon station adjacent to the Brookside Convenience Store and the Short Stop Sunoco station, which are both at $2.69 a gallon.

Gasoline prices in Ohio have risen 1.6 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.74 per gallon on Sunday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 5,345 stations in Ohio. This compares with the national average, which has increased 1.6 cents per gallon versus last week to $2.84 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.

Including the change locally during the past week, prices Sunday were 26 cents per gallon higher than a year ago and are 2.3 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average has dropped 2.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 18.1 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

“Last week saw a brief and fairly tame rise in the national average, brought on mainly by a select few states where gas prices tend to be volatile,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “Overall, it was a mostly stable week with some up and down movement state-by-state, but now we await the changeover to winter gasoline that happens this Saturday for some relief at the pump.

“While Hurricane Florence may pose fuel-related challenges for areas of the East Coast, there is little to no threat to refineries at this time and is thus unlikely to bring measurable impact to the national average price of gasoline; however, it could bring supply challenges to several states, depending on levels of evacuations and timing of them,” DeHaan noted. “Hurricane season aside, gasoline demand will likely drift lower nearly countrywide, putting some additional downward impact on prices in most communities over the next few weeks.”