Utah gas prices hit $3 for first time since 2015

Stock image | Photo by Geribody, iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

ST. GEORGE – The price of of regular unleaded gas hit $3 last week and kept rising over the weekend to greet drivers in southwest Utah with an average cost of $3.11 Monday.

According to the AAA, prices haven’t averaged $3 in Utah since early July 2015.

“Gas prices in Utah have jumped more than 60 cents since the beginning of 2018, and there’s no sign they’ll be decreasing as we enter the busy summer travel season,” AAA spokesman Michael Blasky said.

Factors involved in the price spike include high demand caused by record travel for April.

The latest data from the Energy Information Administration has consumer gasoline demand at near 10 million barrels a day, which is a factor in the price of oil jumping to nearly $70 a barrel compared to the $50 a barrel it was this time last year.

In Utah, HollyFrontier’s Woods Cross refinery experienced a fire in March, reportedly causing lower rates of production.

As of Monday, the national average for gas is $2.76, with Utah’s average at $3.02.

In Utah, the highest price can be found in Moab at $3.18, with St. George taking second place at $3.11, and Vernal in third at $3.02.

The lowest gas prices in the state can be found in Provo at $2.97, Salt Lake City at $2.98 and Logan at $2.99.

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Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

 

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17 Comments

  • Debbie April 23, 2018 at 2:52 pm

    There is no reason for the gas price to go up. More travel should mean lower prices. The only thing raising gas prices is greed.

    • PatriotLiberal April 23, 2018 at 3:09 pm

      Yep. Then again, this is a Republican state so what do you expect?

      • RadRabbit April 23, 2018 at 3:38 pm

        That must be why California’s gas is so expensive all the time all those damn Republicans there…

  • voice of reason April 23, 2018 at 3:14 pm

    Thanks Obama . . .

    oh wait

  • Scott April 23, 2018 at 4:30 pm

    Probably a good thing. We won’t self-regulate our driving habits until gas goes up to about $5/gallon

  • hiker75 April 23, 2018 at 6:36 pm

    Church tax to pay for temples.

  • comments April 23, 2018 at 7:12 pm

    Near the end of the reign of Baby Bush II in 2008 gas in UT was over 4.50 a gallon. You people have short memories, like goldfishes. Don’t expect it to go back down so long as ‘the donald’ is ‘our’ president.

    • ladybugavenger April 23, 2018 at 9:40 pm

      It went up when Obama was president too! It’s just greedy oil companies, billions of dollars profit is not enough. It’s never enough. It’s sad really.

      • comments April 23, 2018 at 10:54 pm

        It stayed fairly level under obama, at least when compared to the Baby Bush II era. Bush/Cheney were basically in bed with the oil giants the whole 8 years; that’s why we saw 4.50 and higher in much of the country. We’ll see what happens under the reign of our dear clown, Mr trump.

        • ladybugavenger April 24, 2018 at 7:03 pm

          The article does say, since 2015. Which implies it was over $3 in 2015 and last I checked, obama was president in 2015.
          Believe me, my world fell apart when Bush was president, but it’s not his fault, is it? Lol. Bush, Clinton, obama, trump, my troubles were not caused by them lol…..it was people lower than them that gave me troubles. Ugh!
          So glad that’s the past…lifes goood. Futures bright (and it’s not because of trump, just sayin’)

  • utahdiablo April 23, 2018 at 9:01 pm

    Enjoy Gas prices going up even more if you vote in that 10 cent per gallon increase in November ….on every gallon forever if you side with Gov Herbert…but his Limo driver fills his tank….. Just remember, the USA is now the World’s largest oil producer along with refined gasoline that we now EXPORT to the World, so they ( the oil and gas producers ) keep the supply down while their profits up, on our ( America’s ) BLM leased land….makes you all warm and fuzzy right?

  • asianspa April 23, 2018 at 9:27 pm

    Great, now everybody in Washington County can just sign up for another MLM and get a 3rd job. STGnews should get ready to cover a lot more accidents seeing as sleep will be a luxury as we go live a life of one neverending job to another.

  • dodgers April 24, 2018 at 5:06 am

    Regarding greed, the government (federal & state) makes more $$ off of each gallon of gas than the oil companies. This has been the case for some time. That said, you’re seeing simple economics and the free market in action. Demand increases, and price follows. Another sign of an improved economy.

  • Striker4 April 24, 2018 at 5:42 am

    Ha Ha you have to pay what they want lol. !

  • Snarkles April 24, 2018 at 3:00 pm

    Seriously? People have short memories. Gas prices go up in the summer every year to gouge tourists. Prices go down in the winter when people are busy working and don’t have time to travel.

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