Des Moines, IA- Iowans are driving much less during the winter months, but gasoline prices are up despite the lack of demand.
Triple-A Iowa spokesperson Meredith Mitts tells Radio Iowa that crude oil prices are what’s setting the bar.
“In the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen an increase in total stocks and a decrease in demand which typically puts downward pressure on those pump prices,” Mitts says, “but because we are seeing these rising crude oil prices, the pump prices continue to go up.”
Another part of the reason for higher prices is rising concerns over tensions overseas.
“This time of year is usually a time that we would see a little bit of those lower prices at the pump but it will depend a little bit on that tension between Russia and Ukraine,” Mitts says. “That’s a major contributor to these oil prices, so it will depend on any sanctions that come out of that and how those conversations go.”
The average price for gas in Iowa is $3.23 a gallon, up 8 cents from the previous week and up a dollar from a year ago. The national average is now $3.44 a gallon.
