Gas Prices Up an Average of 13 Cents: Find Cheap Gas in Your Area

DEARBORN, MI – Gas prices have increased an average of 13 cents in Michigan over the past week, Dearborn-based AAA Michigan says.

The average price for self-serve regular unleaded gasoline was about $1.89 per gallon Sunday — 45 cents less than it was a year ago, but 13 cents higher than a week ago, according to the auto club, which surveys daily fuel prices at 2,800 gas stations across the state.

The cheapest gas was $1.78 a gallon in the Marquette area, while the most expensive was found in the Traverse City area at $1.96 per gallon. In Metro Detroit, gas prices averaged $1.88 a gallon.

Gas prices in Michigan are higher than the national average of about $1.81 a gallon.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the nation’s crude oil inventories are at historically high levels for this time of year. So, why are prices on the uptick?

It’s spring, and refineries have temporarily stopped production to switch to more expensive summer blends. In Michigan, the counties of Lenawee, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties are required to switch to the summer blend, which is touted as preventing the release of 28 tons of smog-causing compounds per day.

The EIA said Americans will begin driving more for spring break and summer vacations.

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