AAA-Texas: Gas Prices Creep Up Slowly for 3rd Week in a Row

 | Quelle: AAA Texas AAA Texas

DALLAS/FORT WORTH, TX--(Marketwire - July 18, 2008) - Drivers in Texas continue to pay nearly four dollars a gallon for gasoline with the state average sitting at $3.98, and gasoline here remains below the national average of more than $4.11. Still, in Texas motorists are paying nearly $1.04 more than they did one year ago today.

San Antonio and Corpus Christi have the least expensive gas. Those cities are reporting a price of $3.95 a gallon. Gasoline in Port Arthur and Beaumont report the highest average at $3.99.

"Motorists clearly are driving less and doing much more to conserve gasoline. More people are forming carpools, increasing the number of days they ride share, consolidating trips and public transportation is seeing a big increase in rider ship across the state," said AAA-Texas Corporate Communications Manager Dan Ronan.

It's worth noting that despite the volatility in the market for the price of crude oil, the retail price of gasoline continues to show some stability. In Texas most markets saw an increase of less than 2 cents per gallon during the past week. However, some analysts say the price of crude oil and wholesale gasoline in the last two weeks has not been fully reflected at the local gas pump. If it had, the nationwide average gasoline price could be five or ten cents per gallon more expensive than it is now.

Part of the reason for the retail price stability is because retailers are watching their volume of gasoline sales fall in many locations. This can have a big impact on the sales of higher-profit-margin convenience products that depend on motorists stopping in to buy gasoline. Those station owners are trying to stay competitive and bring in customers. 

          Current   1 Week  Difference Year Ago  Difference  Record  Record
                     Ago                                     High    High
                                                             Date    Price

          07/17/08  7/10/08 Difference 07/17/08  Difference  Date    Price

National     4.114    4.104   +0.010     3.031    +1.083    07/17/08  4.114
State        3.985    3.990   -0.005     2.917    +1.068    07/09/08  3.990
Amarillo     3.970    3.968   +0.002     3.242    +0.728    07/17/08  3.970
Austin-San
 Marcos      3.975    3.963   +0.012     2.910    +1.065    07/17/08  3.975
Beaumont     3.995    3.988   +0.007     2.884    +111.1    07/17/08  3.995
Corpus
 Christi     3.955    3.952   +0.003     2.844    +1.151    07/07/08  3.958
Dallas       3.981    3.965   +0.016     2.880    +1.101    07/17/08  3.981
El Paso      3.967    3.955   +0.012     3.064    +0.903    07/17/08  3.967
Ft. Worth    3.973    3.964   +0.011     2.889    +1.084    07/09/08  3.964
Galveston    3.968    3.949   +0.019     2.868    +1.100    07/17/08  3.968
Houston      3.960    3.936   +0.024     2.853    +1.107    07/17/08  3.960
San Antonio  3.956    3.939   +0.017     2.871    +1.085    07/17/08  3.965
Texarkana
 (TX Only)   3.960    3.959   +0.001     2.871    +1.089    07/17/08  3.960

Contact Information: Contacts: Dan Ronan Ronan.dan@aaa-texas.com danronan@sprint.blackberry.net 469 221 8217 office 469 583 7070 cell Anne O'Ryan O'ryan.anne@aaa-texas.com 512 899 8843 office 512 925 3710 cell Sonta Henderson Henderson.sonta@aaa-texas.com 512 444 4757 ext. 224 512 899 8046