Demand The Main Reason Fuel Prices Continue To Move Higher

It’s been a reoccurring theme for 2018, fuel prices, both diesel and gasoline, moving higher. Marie Dodds with AAA said there are two chief reasons behind the constant increase. First, demand for fuels is at a level we don’t typically see until July or perhaps August.

“On top of that, we’ve had higher crude oil prices, since the start of this year. And over the last week, crude oil prices were flirting with $70 a barrel. Crude prices are up about 9% in the last month, and we started this year, with higher crude prices than what we saw for all of last year.”

Dodds added while prices are high, they are not near record level. And she noted prices should start to ease in the coming weeks.

“Earlier this year, AAA predicted that we would probably top out maybe a bit earlier than usual and then prices would settle down for the heart of the summer driving season.”

Dodds said that prediction goes out the window should international issues arise, or Mother Nature impacts key oil locations in the United States. As far as fuel prices are concerned, the National average for a gallon of diesel increased three cents this week, to $3.07, while Oregon’s average increased two cents to $3.30, and Washington’s average increased three cents to $3.42 a gallon.

Here are some of the lowest diesel prices we could find across the Inland Northwest: