NC gas prices rise for 5th straight week; up 37.4 cents from last month

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Quickly-rising gas prices show no sign of slowing down.

Average gasoline prices in North Carolina have risen 5.2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.35 per gallon.

Prices in North Carolina are 37.4 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 21.3 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. 

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in North Carolina was priced at $2.84 per gallon Sunday while the most expensive was $3.93 a gallon, a difference of $1.09.

“The national average price of gasoline has risen for the fifth straight week as retailers pass along the rise in wholesale gasoline prices due to continued challenges: refinery utilization that still hasn’t fully recovered from December’s cold weather, and refinery maintenance season that’s just around the corner,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “There appears to be little good news on the gas price front, with prices unlikely to turn around any time soon. Because of the surge in prices last spring, many refineries that had planned maintenance deferred maintenance until 2023. With the can kicked to this year, we may have similar challenges producing enough refined products to meet demand, especially with the European Union cutting off refined products from Russia starting February 5.”