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February 9, 2015

Gas prices up 8.4 cents in last week

If you thought you were paying more at the pumps within the last several days, you weren’t imagining it. Average retail gasoline prices rose 8.4 cents per gallon in the past week, according to GasBuddy.com’s latest survey.

The average price, based on a daily survey of 263 gas stations in Worcester, was $2.13 on Sunday, slightly lower than the national average of $2.17, the gasoline price website said. It was the largest one-week jump in prices since July 2013, GasBuddy said.

And there may be more increases ahead, according to a GasBuddy analyst.

The Worcester price is $1.23-per-gallon – or about 37 percent - lower than it was the same date last year, and it’s down 17 cents than it was a month ago.  Meanwhile, the national average has increased 1.7 cents per gallon during the last month and stands nearly $1.11 per gallon lower than this date a year ago.

“While the pace of increases will slow in the week ahead, we're looking at continued gas price increases over the next few weeks,” as oil prices have risen, said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.

DeHaan also cited labor troubles for the upturn in prices.

“Also worrisome are the refinery strikes initiated over the last week that have oil companies scrambling to keep refineries online,” he said. Just yesterday, “more strikes hit refineries in the Midwest, and while the strikes are not currently a contributor to higher gasoline prices, should there come a time when the strikes cause less production of refined fuels, motorists can expect spikes.”

However, those who buy diesel fuel will probably see prices fall since price spikes have not impacted that blend, he added.

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