RI Gas Prices Rise After Weeks Of Slow Decline

PROVIDENCE, RI — After weeks of slow declines, gas prices are again on the rise in Rhode Island. The average price per gallon is now $3.38, up four cents from the week before.

That's about the same as a month ago and nearly a dollar higher than this time last year, when the average price was $2.39. While Rhode Island's average gas price generally lags behind the national average, it is currently two cents higher.

Lloyd Albert, a spokesperson for AAA Northeast, said that the uncertainty surrounding Russia and Ukraine drove crude oil prices to about $90 per barrel.

"Russia is a member of OPEC+, and any sanctions based on their actions toward Ukraine may cause it to withhold crude oil from the global market," Albert said. "Higher oil prices will lead to higher pump prices for drivers."

Rhode Island's average price per gallon is just one cent lower than next-door neighbor Massachusetts, while Connecticut is considerably higher at $3.51 per gallon.