Massachusetts

Expert: The one thing we all can do to keep gas prices low

By Mike Saccone

As of Thursday, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Massachusetts is $2.72, according to AAA Northeast.

By Mike Saccone

BOSTON — You may have noticed the price at the pump has started to climb over the past couple of months.

As of Thursday, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Massachusetts is $2.72, according to AAA Northeast. That’s up six-cents just this week and an increase of 30-cents in the last month. The national average is $2.82 a gallon.

“I would say the days of cheap gas, as we’ve enjoyed the past couple of years, are in the rearview mirror at this point,” said Mary Maguire, the Director of Public and Legislative Affairs for AAA Northeast.

Maguire said right now the rising prices are the result of not enough supply to meet the demand. More people are commuting to work and taking road trips, all while refinery capacity is at a record low.

Maguire said relief at the pump likely won’t come until late spring or early summer because the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has decided to limit production in April.

The price of crude oil isn’t helping things either. Last Friday, crude oil hit $66 a barrel for the first time in almost two years, according to Maguire.

The winter storm that crippled Texas last month also led to the temporary shutdown of more than two dozen refineries.

“I think as those refineries come back online and as more people travel this spring, as the weather improves, we’ll see an increase in refinery capacity, so hopefully an increase in supply will mitigate prices at the pump,” Maguire said.

AAA Northeast is predicting the price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Massachusetts could reach $2.90 before starting to decrease. Massachusetts hasn’t seen gas prices flirt with the $3 a gallon mark since 2018.

Maguire said one way everyone can help drive down the prices of gas is by searching for and fueling up at gas stations with the cheapest prices.

“If people shop around and give their business to the most competitive retailers, that will put downward pressure on the market for all of us and it will help save everyone money,” Maguire said.

Cox Media Group

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