Utah gasoline prices jump 36 cents in 1 month

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s motorists saw prices at the gas pump increase 36 cents over the past four weeks.

The AAA Fuel Gauge Report showed that the current average price of a gallon of regular fuel is the highest recorded for the state all year.

The current price for a gallon of regular gasoline of $3.83, a 36-cent increase from last month’s AAA report and 24 cents higher than a year ago. Moab recorded the highest price statewide at $3.93 per gallon, while Ogden was the lowest at $3.75.

The national average price of $3.84 is up 14 cents from last month and 18 cents higher than last year.

However, depsite the rapid rise, the current national average is 10 cents lower than the highest national average reported for the year on April 5. Eight states — California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Oregon and Washington — reported prices over $4.

“The national average price made record increases during the late summer as the country was experiencing refinery and pipeline issues in the Gulf States, Midwest and California and the threat of Hurricane Isaac,” said Rolayne Fairclough, AAA Utah spokeswoman. “The national price has decreased for seven of the 11 days since the beginning of September and should continue to taper off, barring any unexpected incidents, as demand drops from the summer driving period and refineries change from summer to winter blends.”

Conflicting economic factors such as bearish economic news domestically and internationally, reports of tight supplies, a weaker global economy and actions by the Federal Reserve balanced each other and resulted in little net change in oil prices.

“The petroleum refinery and distribution system in Utah has been relatively incident free of major disruptions during the heavy demand of the summer season,” Fairclough said. “Traditionally, Utah’s gasoline prices decrease with the coming of fall and winter as driving demand lessens and the lower-cost winter blend gasoline is introduced.”