Region’s gas prices rise; U.S. average drops a bit

Feeling the pinch at the pump? Gas prices in Pittsburgh float close to $4 per gallon, but the national average dropped slightly.

Average gas prices in Pittsburgh were at $3.92 on Monday afternoon, according to AAA. Several gas stations in Pittsburgh climb slightly higher, advertising prices of $3.99.

The national average for a gallon of gas sits at $3.84, after dropping four cents over the past week.

Last week, the nation saw its highest average gas prices for the entire year. Ideally, that would be the peak of high gas prices this year as the cold weather begins to set in.

AAA says the slight drop in prices on a national level can be attributed to many gas stations beginning the switch to winter blend gasoline, which is less expensive.

However, the lower cost transition is hampered by high oil prices, which AAA says is currently at about $90 per barrel. AAA says that higher consumer demand and slightly shorter supply are other contributors to current prices.

According to Macrotrends, the price for oil is roughly 10% higher than it was at this time last year. September 2022 saw an average price of $82 for a barrel of oil.

AAA says new data from the Energy Information Administration shows demand rose from 8.31 to 8.41 million barrels per day last week, and domestic gasoline stocks dropped from 220.3 to 219.5 million barrels.

Many municipalities across the Pittsburgh region had a national average gas price of at least $3.84 per gallon as of Monday afternoon. Most saw an average over $3.92.

Pennsylvania gas prices are averaging $3.91, according to AAA.