(Des Moines) Iowans are seeing a slight reprieve at the pump this week, as the average price for regular unleaded gasoline across the state fell by 2 cents to $2.90 per gallon, according to the latest Weekly Fuel Report from AAA.
While Iowa gas prices dipped, the cost of crude oil increased notably. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose by $4.51 per barrel to reach $63.29, and Brent crude climbed $4.50 to $66.24. Both benchmarks remain significantly below their prices from one year ago, when WTI stood at $79.62 and Brent at $81.00.
Despite the uptick in global crude prices, Iowa continues to see savings at the pump. This week’s $2.90 average is 35 cents lower than prices at this time last year. Diesel prices in Iowa held steady at $3.29 per gallon, down 38 cents from the previous year and 25 cents below the current national diesel average of $3.54.
Nationally, regular unleaded gasoline rose 3 cents to an average of $3.18 per gallon, highlighting Iowa’s comparatively lower fuel costs.
In the heating fuels sector, natural gas prices dropped 14 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site, settling at $3.50 per MMbtu. Retail heating oil and propane prices in Iowa will resume reporting in October.
