gas prices

Gas prices are spiking, and the increase in New Jersey this month has been 1.7 cents more than nationally, despite an 8.3 cent cut in the state gas tax.

Gas stations had to clear out inventory bought at the old tax rate and don't get refunds on it. Now higher crude oil and wholesale prices will negate any drop.

For some unknown reason, New Jersey remains adamant about not letting us simply put a credit card into the pump and fill our own tanks like all the other states get to do.

Although we are much more active this year than last, Delta variant or not, AAA says the bounceback in activity as COVID-19 evolves isn't really helping drivers out.

AAA Mid-Atlantic's Tuesday update showed the average price for a gallon of regular in the Garden State is $3.18, 99 cents higher than this week in 2020.

Prices may continue to drift higher for weeks.

Gasoline prices have been rising rather steadily over the course of the last few weeks in New Jersey as the weather warms up and more folks appear comfortable with hitting the road in the face of COVID-19.

Prices are down a couple of cents statewide versus a week ago, but not much more downward action is expected for now.

The average price of a gallon of regular gas in New Jersey has gone up 7 cents in the past week, nearly 30 cents in a month, and is almost 40 cents more than a year ago, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and a nosedive in oil demand.

Summer travel in the Garden State is static, and so are prices at the pump.