TYLER, Texas — With an increase in demand and low supply caused by Hurricane Milton, Texas drivers could see some temporarily increases at the gas pump.
According to the Energy Information Administration, demand for gasoline last week was the highest it's been this year -- 9.6 million barrels per day. The sharp rise in demand can be attributed to late-week fuel consumption ahead of Hurricane Milton making landfall in Florida.
At the same time, the gas supply is at its lowest for 2024, according to AAA Texas.
Daniel Armbruster, AAA Texas spokesperson, said because of these factors, average fuel prices saw increases that could keep rising before settling down.
"Typically, if prices increase due to a hurricane they will usually come back down within a few weeks," Armbruster said.
Armbruster said prices in the Tyler area rose by five cents over the last week. The average price is $2.70 per gallon for regular unleaded gas.
"If you look at them (gas prices) compared to a year ago, they're still down about 38 cents per gallon on average. In Texas and in Tyler, they're down 48 cents per gallon on average," Armbruster said. "So even though we've seen a little bit of a price increase on the week, gas prices are still significantly down compared to where they were a year ago."
In previous experiences, Armbruster said large hurricanes have caused prices to go up between five to 15 cents. But within two to three weeks, the prices should go back down.
For those wanting to save on gas, he suggested not speeding, not accelerating quickly and going easy on the throttle to save 15 to 40% while driving in town.
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