South Carolina drivers face higher gas prices as national trend continues upward
(WCIV) — The average price of gas jumped in the past week, with gas prices in South Carolina rising a total of 5.7 cents Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 3,028 stations in South Carolina.
“Gasoline prices jumped in over three-quarters of U.S. states over the last week, as oil prices surged following President Trump’s decision to reduce tariffs and strike new trade deals. Moves that inspired optimism that a major tariff-induced economic slowdown might be avoided,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy in a prepared statement.
Motorists looking to fill up their tanks at the top of this week can expect to face prices averaging around $2.72 per gallon, which is 4.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and 43.9 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.
GasBuddy price reports state that the cheapest station in South Carolina was priced at $2.41 per gallon Sunday while the most expensive was $3.49 per gallon. This is over a full dollar difference, prompting some drivers to put some effort into finding the cheapest gas in their area.
Meanwhile the national average price of gasoline has risen 6.1 cents per gallon in the last week, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.
The national average price of gas is up a miniscule 1.9 cents per gallon from a month ago, however it is a whopping 41.0 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.
“In addition to gains in price-cycling markets, rising oil prices fueled by economic optimism and tightening gasoline inventories contributed to broader upward pressure on prices. While Americans are still seeing significant savings compared to a year ago, that gap has narrowed as oil prices have rebounded. As we approach Memorial Day, GasBuddy is preparing to release its summer travel survey results and issue a gas price forecast for the season. For now, motorists can expect one of the most affordable summers for hitting the road since the pandemic, with gas prices tracking at some of the lowest inflation-adjusted levels in years,” said De Haan.
