BOISE, Idaho — The cost of fueling up your car or truck in Idaho is less expensive than mid-summer, but it's still a lot more expensive than this day in 2021.
AAA Idaho on Monday, Sept. 19, reported a statewide average of $4.41 per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline and $5.04 per gallon of diesel. The average price of diesel has fallen just 14 cents in the past month and 3 cents in the past week, while the price of unleaded gas has dropped 6 cents over the past week and 26 cents over the past month.
However, Monday's average prices are, compared to the same date in 2021, 64 cents higher for regular unleaded and $1.32 higher for diesel.
Also, Idaho fuel prices are, on average, among the highest in the nation -- only Alaska, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada had higher averages Monday. The nation's lowest statewide average for regular unleaded is $3.10 in Mississippi. The highest is California, at $5.45 a gallon. The national average is $3.68.
Prices vary widely among specific localities and fuel stations.
Within the state of Idaho, by county, Boundary County has the lowest average price: $4.08 for a gallon of regular unleaded. Boise County's average of $4.97 is the state's highest. Prices for the Boise metro area are closer to the statewide average: $4.46 in Ada County and $4.49 in Canyon County.
GasBuddy takes a closer look at the Boise metro area, with a survey of 216 stations, and reported Monday that average gasoline prices in Boise have fallen 9.5 cents in the past week, and now average $4.45 per gallon of regular unleaded. According to GasBuddy, the lowest posted price Sunday in Boise was $4.16 per gallon and the most expensive was $4.97 -- a difference of 81 cents per gallon.
A year ago, the average price for Boise was $3.85 per gallon, 60 cents less than today and $1.44 more than the same date in 2020.
Crude oil is trading lower than it was a month or even a week ago, AAA reports, with the West Texas Intermediate benchmark near $85 per barrel. That's still $15 more than a year ago.
Finally, AAA cautions, the streak of dropping gas prices won't last forever. AAA Idaho public affairs director Matthew Conde noted that the weekly decline in the U.S. average was the smallest in months, "which could be a signal that the trend of falling prices is starting to level off. Hopefully, crude oil prices and fuel demand will continue to drop so that we all get more needed relief at the pump."
Andrew Gross, national spokesperson for AAA said a number of factors affect global oil prices, including war, COVID, economic recession and hurricane season, and any one of them could push oil prices higher.
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