Michigan gas prices remain steady, with AAA reporting a slight one-cent increase, keeping the average at $3.08 per gallon for regular unleaded fuel. This marks a 5-cent drop from last month and 13 cents less than a year ago, according to The Detroit News. Motorists are paying about $46 to fill a 15-gallon tank. Metro Detroit's average price is slightly higher at $3.11 per gallon, while areas like Traverse City, Benton Harbor, and Marquette offer lower rates, down to $2.96 per gallon. AAA spokesperson Adrienne Woodland stated, "With very little change in the state average, Michigan drivers are seeing similar gas prices to a week ago," as reported by CBS Detroit
Recent data from the Energy Information Administration shows that gasoline demand dropped from 8.57 million to 8.23 million barrels per day. Gasoline supply also decreased slightly from 248.1 million to 247.9 million barrels. Production of gasoline fell to 9.2 million barrels per day. Meanwhile, crude oil inventories rose by 4.6 million barrels to 432.5 million, which is about 3% lower than the five-year average for late February, as mentioned by The Detroit News.
Gas prices are expected to rise by 20 to 60 cents in the coming months due to the switch to costlier summer fuel blends. While diesel prices rose slightly to $3.65 per gallon, refinery maintenance on the West Coast has pushed California's average gas price to $4.84 per gallon, as stated by Detroit Free Press. Patrick De Haan of GasBuddy noted, "While I don’t see an abrupt spike in the national average just yet, we’re likely to see upward movement in the weeks ahead." To save on fuel, AAA suggests combining errands, shopping for the best prices, using cash, reducing vehicle weight, driving conservatively, and joining savings programs like Shell's Fuel Rewards, as per The Detroit News.
