Gas prices have increased significantly from last week in many parts of the country. Hurricane Ike has caused 14 oil refineries to be shut down and with them a total refining capacity of nearly 3.6 million barrels per day. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) estimates that 13 million barrels of gasoline have not been produced due to recent severe weather. The national gasoline average is $1.05 above the price this time last year.
National retail fuel price averages
| Price | Change from last week |
| Regular gasoline/gallon | $3.84 | ↑ .19 |
| Diesel fuel/gallon | $4.02 | ↓ .04 |
Regional regular gasoline prices
| Price | Change from last week |
| East Coast | $3.81 | ↑ .20 |
| -New England | $3.66 | ↑ .05 |
| -Central Atlantic | $3.67 | ↑ .08 |
| -Lower Atlantic | $3.96 | ↑ .34 |
| Midwest | $3.95 | ↑ .31 |
| Gulf Coast | $3.76 | ↑ .21 |
| Rocky Mountain | $3.75 | ↓ .01 |
| West Coast | $3.77 | ↓ .04 |
| -California | $3.80 | ↓ .06 |
Source: Energy Information Administration, 9/15/08. Figures rounded to the nearest cent.
For more information on saving fuel see our reports on how to get the best gas mileage and where to find the cheapest gas.
