PEORIA, Ill. – After a couple weeks of increases, two agencies that monitor gas prices across the country say the Peoria area saw an ever-so-slight decline.
AAA has the current Peoria-Pekin metro area price for a gallon of unleaded averaging at $3.61 a gallon — down less than a penny from a week ago. GasBuddy.com, meanwhile, says their average price in the area is down two cents, to $3.58.
This, as GasBuddy’s national gas price average increased nearly a dime, to $3.49.
GasBuddy says the national average increase continues to be due in part to refineries not back to normal following the severe winter weather of December.
“There appears to be little good news on the gas price front, with prices unlikely to turn around any time soon,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Because of the surge in prices last spring, many refineries that had planned maintenance deferred maintenance until 2023. With the can kicked to this year, we may have similar challenges producing enough refined products to meet demand, especially with the European Union cutting off refined products from Russia starting February 5.”
