Gas prices up 19 cents in just one week in Massachusetts
BOSTON - Gas prices in Massachusetts have gone up a whopping 19 cents in just a week, AAA reported Monday.
The average price for a gallon of gas is now $3.56 a gallon, up from $3.37 last Monday.
A month ago, the average price in Massachusetts was 27 cents lower at $3.29 a gallon.
Why are gas prices so high?
"Drivers might be seeing red at the gas pump this week, but there are signs that the pace of price increases could ease," AAA spokesman Mark Schieldrop said in a statement Monday.
"It's not unusual to see a lull in demand between the end of spring breaks and Memorial Day. Regional gasoline inventories are ahead of last year's levels - and growing. And oil prices, which had been climbing since the start of the year, fell sharply last week after markets digested the latest developments in the Middle East and lackluster demand figures from China, the world's largest oil importer."
Comparing gas prices
The highest prices in Massachusetts are on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, where both are well above $4 a gallon. In Boston the average is $3.69.
If you're looking for some good news, the national average for gas prices is currently $3.67 a gallon, 11 cents higher than Massachusetts.
California has the highest prices in the nation, with an average of $5.43. If you don't feel like doing the math, that's $1.87 a gallon more than Massachusetts.