N.Y. gasoline prices inch up; national average falls

The average retail price of gasoline in New York state rose 0.4 cents per gallon last week, reaching $3.07 on Sunday, according to gasoline price website GasBuddy.com.

In the Mid-Hudson Valley, according to GasBuddy, average prices per gallon midday Monday were $2.98 in Ulster County (down 2 cents from a week ago), $3.11 in Dutchess County (down a penny), $3.06 in Greene County (unchanged) and $2.97 in Columbia County (down 3 cents).

The national average fell 1.9 cents per gallon to $2.94, GasBuddy said.

“Finally some moderation has hit tens of thousands of gas stations across the country, following the drop in oil prices in recent days,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “We may have dodged a bullet in avoiding the $3-per-gallon level for now, but not everything is rosy yet. While nearly 40 states saw average prices drop in the last week, 10 still saw small increases, so this is not an all-inclusive party by any means.

“Prices remain well above their year-ago level, costing the country $228 million more every day versus a year ago,” DeHaan said. “Moving forward, all eyes remain on OPEC and their coming meeting to see if they’ll push oil prices higher, or if they’ll allow a respite for the summer driving season.”

New York state’s average gas price Sunday was 13.4 cents per gallon higher than a month earlier and 57.6 cents higher than a year ago.

The national average has increased 13.4 cents per gallon in the last month and stands 57.8 cents higher than a year ago.

Average gasoline prices on June 4 in New York have ranged widely over the last five years: $2.49 per gallon in 2017, $2.44 per gallon in 2016, $2.87 per gallon in 2015, $3.87 per gallon in 2014 and $3.74 per gallon in 2013.