Gas prices shoot up ahead of 2023

VW independent staff/submitted information

Last week’s bone chilling temperatures are being blamed for increased prices at gas pumps.

Average gasoline prices in Ohio have risen 20.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.06 per gallon to start 2023, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 5,345 stations in Ohio. Prices in Ohio are 21.5 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 9.3 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has fallen 1.4 cents in the last week and stands at $4.67 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Ohio was priced at $2.38 per gallon while the most expensive was $3.89 a gallon, a difference of $1.51 per gallon.

The national average price of gasoline has risen 12.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.17 per gallon. Even so, the national average is down 22.5 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 9.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.

For the first time in two months, the nation’s average price of gasoline rose sharply last week, as extremely cold weather led to many refinery issues, shutting down over a million barrels of refining capacity, pushing wholesale prices up,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “While the jump at the pump will likely be temporary as most refiners get back online after cold-weather related issues, some regions like the Rockies may see more price increases than others as cold-weather shutdowns hit the region fairly hard, with one refinery likely remaining down through the first quarter of 2023.”

Historical gasoline prices in Ohio and the national average going back 10 years:

January 2, 2022: $2.97/g (U.S. Average: $3.26/g)
January 2, 2021: $2.17/g (U.S. Average: $2.25/g)
January 2, 2020: $2.56/g (U.S. Average: $2.59/g)
January 2, 2019: $1.95/g (U.S. Average: $2.25/g)
January 2, 2018: $2.48/g (U.S. Average: $2.49/g)
January 2, 2017: $2.31/g (U.S. Average: $2.34/g)
January 2, 2016: $1.90/g (U.S. Average: $1.99/g)
January 2, 2015: $1.93/g (U.S. Average: $2.21/g)
January 2, 2014: $3.35/g (U.S. Average: $3.32/g)
January 2, 2013: $3.28/g (U.S. Average: $3.28/g)