Gas prices soar with start of 2008
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

Pain At The Pump As fuel prices spike with the new year, motorists are discovering even more pain at the pump. Tuesday, a gallon of gasoline averaged $2.97 in El Campo and $2.95 in Houston. Nationwide, motorists were paying an average of $3.10 per gallon. Diesel prices were at $3.45 per gallon based on the national average. L-N File Photo

A recent spike in gas prices may be putting that New Year's resolution about saving money to the test.

Nationwide, gas prices rose almost 7 cents in the first week of the new year while in Texas prices were up 6 to 10 cents.

Regular self-serve was averaging $2.97 per gallon at pumps in 10 Texas cities Tuesday while the national average was $3.10 per gallon, according to AAA Daily Fuel Gauge Report.

AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report is updated each day and is the most comprehensive retail gasoline survey available. Everyday up to 85,000 selfserve stations are surveyed.

At the same point last year, Texans were paying $2.18 per gallon while the national average was $2.30.

The national average price Tuesday for diesel fuel was $3.45 per gallon as compared to $2.66 per gallon in January 2007.

"Retail gasoline prices have started to move upward as crude topped $100 a barrel for the first time this week," said auto club spokeswoman Rose Rougeau. "The swift increase in oil prices is partially blamed on supply concerns and speculative buying. Higher crude prices will ultimately mean higher pump prices for consumers."

The cheapest gas in Texas was in El Paso where it averaged $2.83 per gallon, up 3 cents from last week. The most expensive gas was in Texarkana, where the average rose 12 cents to $3.02 per gallon.

In El Campo, Tuesday gas prices averaged $2.97 per gallon with a reported low price of $2.85.

The average price for gasoline in Houston Tuesday was $2.95 and $3.33 for diesel. In Austin, those averages were $3 and $3.28 while in San Antonio it was $2.96 and $3.24.

The lowest gas price average in the United States Tuesday was $2.35 per gallon in Farmington, Mo., according

to MSN, while the highest was $4.13

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