Four-dollar gas has arrived in Dayton. Local gas prices have soared this week, taking a huge jump just in the past day to an all-time high. And more than a dozen area gas stations are now charging more than $4 per gallon for regular gas, with several gas stations charging $4.05, according to GasPriceWatch.com. The highest price in the region was listed as $4.09 per gallon in Vandalia.
Just about every area community has at least one station with regular gas priced at $4 or more, including Dayton, Kettering, Centerville, Xenia, Springfield, Beavercreek and Troy.
The latest figures released Friday as part of the AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report show prices for regular gas and diesel fuel have hit record highs.
The report indicates the average price for regular gas in the Dayton and Springfield areas is $3.95 per gallon, up from $3.88 Thursday, $3.48 a month ago and $3.26 a year ago. For premium gas, the report lists the average for this area at $4.38 per gallon, up from $4.31 Thursday, $3.86 one month ago and $3.62 one year ago.
Diesel fuel prices locally also have skyrocketed, with the report indicating the average price in the area for diesel fuel Friday at $4.57 per gallon, up from $4.52 Thursday, $4.16 one month ago and nearly double the year-ago price of $2.85.
Toledo has the highest average price for a gallon of regular gas in Ohio at $4.01, according to the report. Average prices in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati all are hovering at about $3.95 per gallon for regular gas.
Analysts predict gas prices will continue to increase as oil prices continue to surge, and some reports indicate that oil could hit $150 a barrel this year and $200 per barrel within a few years. That could lead to gas prices at the pump of $5 to $8, according to news reports of estimates from some industry experts.
GasPriceWatch.com lists the highest regular gas prices in the nation at $4.59 per gallon in Kona, Hawaii. Cottonwood, Ariz., has the lowest price at $3.49.