Categories: Automobile

Fuel Costs Rising as Hurricane Ian Heads to Florida

[ad_1]

Fuel costs have climbed by about 7 cents this week, largely on account of issues at oil refineries. However economists are watching costs carefully as an previous foe begins to have an effect on them in the course of the Atlantic hurricane season.

The present nationwide common worth of a gallon of gasoline is $3.75, in keeping with AAA. That’s 11 cents lower than a month in the past however 56 cents greater than this time final yr. Costs sit $1.27 beneath their mid-June peak.

Table of Contents

Toggle

Present Enhance Not Associated to Ian

Costs fell for 99 straight days earlier than lastly ticking up final week. Fall usually brings a sudden worth drop because the nation switches to cheaper winter blends, then new volatility as storm season begins.

However the present rise has nothing to do with hurricanes. A fireplace that killed two staff left a refinery in Ohio indefinitely closed. Deliberate upkeep at a number of different refineries additionally lowered the nationwide provide of gasoline.

Fortunately, demand is falling with it. The U.S. Power Info Administration reviews that America’s demand for gasoline declined final week. Demand is at present decrease than even September of 2020 when a lot of America was topic to COVID-19-related journey restrictions.

Ian Prone to Miss Most Fuel Manufacturing

Hurricane Ian is headed into the Gulf Coast.

Yesterday, AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross defined, “Hurricane Ian might trigger issues, relying on the storm’s observe, by disrupting oil manufacturing within the Gulf of Mexico and impacting massive coastal refineries.”

However the Nationwide Hurricane Heart’s present projected observe locations the storm too far east to have a lot affect on gasoline manufacturing.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum evaluation for Fuel Buddy, tweeted this morning that he’s “not anticipating a worth rise in Florida right now on account of Ian.”