Filling up your vehicle at the gas pump is becoming less and less for the faint at heart.
Fuel prices keep climbing in New Orleans and statewide.
Triple A's Nick Chabarria says the statewide average price of regular on Thursday increased to $2.94 a gallon, up almost a dime from a week earlier and 18 cents compared to a month earlier.
He blames the increasing prices on, "The fluctuation in crude oil prices as they have since the beginning of 2024, fluctuating from $70 a barrel up to $77 and we're on that upward swing again with crude oil prices hovering around $77 a barrel."
Chabarria says the reason is mainly two-fold.
He says, "One, we're seeing the kind of normal winter-time supply and demand variance that can weigh largely on what crude oil prices do, but we also know that the conflict in the Middle East is also having some impact on crude oil prices globally."
Chabarria says while you can't control fuel prices at the pump, you can improve your vehicle's consumption of gasoline by keeping it in proper shape from correct tire inflation and other maintenance items.
As for the future of gas prices, he says, "Certainly if crude oil stays elevated gas prices will continue to come up. We've seen the lower end of the prices this year and right now we're on the upswing. It's going to be interesting to see where prices go here as we head toward spring."
Chabarria says Louisiana has the 11th lowest gas prices in the nation.
In New Orleans, the average price of regular as of Thursday, February 15th, is $2.95 a gallon, up eight cents from a week ago.