Gas Prices Still Climbing In Washington, Across U.S.

WASHINGTON — Gas prices went up again in Washington last week, and some experts believe prices could continue to climb for the foreseeable future.

"More drivers fueling up here coupled with a persistent tight supply of oil worldwide provides the recipe for higher prices at the pump," said AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross. "And unfortunately for consumers, it does not appear that this trend will change anytime soon."

According to an analysis from AAA, the average cost for a gallon of gas in Washington was $3.96 as of Feb. 14. That's up slightly from the week before, and significantly higher than the national average of $3.49 per gallon.

Western Washington, in particular, has been hit hard by high gas costs. Gasoline prices averaged $4.14 in the Seattle-Tacoma-Belluvue area in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's $1.41 more per gallon than last January, and 18.2 percent more than the $3.50 national average for January 2022.

Western Washington's electricity bills also went up year over year, with Seattle-area households paying 11.7 cents per kilowatt hour. That's a higher price than January 2021, but 20.4 percent lower than the national average of 14.7 cents per kWh.

AAA believes the main causes of gas price increases are the high cost of crude oil, winter weather and higher demand. While spring is hopefully around the corner, the fading omicron variant-surge could spur more demand for gas.

The escalation of gas prices mirrors a larger national trend of inflation, as the price of nearly all goods has gone up markedly in the past year. The consumer price index rose 7.5 percent year-over-year in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Across the West Coast, prices climbed even faster — up 7.7 percent in 12 months.

To the surprise of almost no one, the biggest price increases came from the food and energy sectors. West Coast residents are now paying 7.4 percent more for food than they did in 2021, and energy prices are up 30.3 percent compared to last year. The cost of gas is one of the primary movers for inflation, the report said.

Patch Editor Chris Mosby contributed to this report.