Gasoline prices in Greater Worcester rose more than 5% over this past week, pushing the area’s total increase to more than 29% since the beginning of the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran.
The average price of regular unleaded gasoline in Greater Worcester on Monday was $3.74 per gallon, a 19-cent increase from March 16, according to data released by travel association AAA Northeast.
“As the conflict with Iran continues, gas prices are likely to remain under pressure as long as oil prices stay elevated,” Mark Schieldrop, senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast, said in a Monday press release.
Greater Worcester had an average gas price of $2.89 per gallon on March 2, two days after the U.S. and Israel launched a coordinated attack on Iran on Feb. 28. Monday’s $3.74 price marks a 29% increase since March 2.
The region’s average gas price was 1 cent lower than the Massachusetts average and was the third-highest in the state. At $3.78 per gallon, Greater Pittsfield had the most expensive gas in the commonwealth on Monday, followed by Greater Cambridge-Newton-Framingham at $3.76.
Both Greater Worcester and Massachusetts had lower gas prices than the national average of $3.95 per gallon.
Diesel prices rose faster than gasoline, with Greater Worcester’s average diesel price climbing 42 cents, or 8.1%, over this past week to an average of $5.59 per gallon.
“Prices at the pump across the Northeast haven’t been this high since 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent oil and gas markets into similar turmoil,” Schieldrop said in the release.
On Monday afternoon, a barrel of oil was trading at about $88 on global markets, down 10% from the start of the day.
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare, manufacturing, and higher education industries.
