Gas prices continue to climb locally; Here’s why

DAYTON — Gas prices are on the rise again.

>> WHIO Pump Patrol: Find cheap gas prices

Overnight prices jumped 15 cents and within the month the average price for fuel has increased at least 40 cents, according to AAA.

Most prices across Clark and Greene counties are landing at $3.69 a gallon, but there are a few outliers.

A Sunoco station in Springfield is at $3.66 and a Marathon location in Beavercreek is at $3.59.

GasBuddy’s Patrick De Haan explained that the recent excessive heat in the southern states like Texas where oil refineries are located have contributed to the price hikes.

“Along with the price of oil being higher, we’ve also seen refinery outages in the last couple of weeks related to some of the triple digit temperatures we’ve been seeing in Texas, and Louisiana, that’s where some of the largest refiners in the countries are,” De Haan said.

>> Drivers dealing with higher gas prices; Up nearly 40 cents statewide, AAA says

These outages have disrupted the ability to refine crude oil, which is causing the prices at the pump to continue to increase, he added.

Several factors are being monitored by analysts to predict when the prices will go down.

“Ultimately, there’s still risks from hurricane season, the peak of which just starts in the next week or two. So keep an eye on the Gulf of Mexico,” De Haan said. “If OPEC [Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries] makes any further production cuts that could push the price of oil up, which could have a handle on what you pay as well.

To save a little bit of money on gas, drivers are encouraged to look at multiple stations before fueling up as there are outliers every so often. You can track the latest prices in your neighborhood or on your route here with WHIO Pump Patrol..

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