In which US state is gas more expensive in July 2023? And where is it the cheapest?

It’s been a mixed time for gas prices across the United States, with some states seeing slight increases while others are experiencing small decreases. However, most drivers are paying much less than they were a year ago when the average national price broke over the five-dollar mark.

While for most Americans, the average price in their area hasn’t seen much of a swing, that isn’t the case for those who’ve gone to fill up in Washington State. Since the beginning of the year the average price of a gallon of gas has been climbing steadily, overtaking California for the title for the state with the most expensive gas on average.

According to AAA, a gallon of regular gasoline is approaching $5 on average in Washington, while drivers in the Golden State are paying about 15 cents less on average as the gap widens. However, one county in California still has the most expensive in the nation, with the price per gallon at more than $6 in Mono at the start of July.

What’s pushing the price of gas up in Washington?

Experts point to Washington State’s new carbon-pricing program which was launched this year according to the Seattle Times. The ambitious effort to tackle climate change by charging businesses for the greenhouse gases they emit has brought in over $850 million in the first two quarterly auctions of emissions allowances.

The compliance fees are now being passed onto consumers by oil companies according to the experts. Oil Price Information Service says that those added costs equal roughly 50 cents per gallon.

“No one would be surprised,” said Gov. Jay Inslee’s office, “if oil companies experiencing record profits are choosing to pass their compliance costs to customers — sometimes even for fuels that are exempt under the law.” Government officials in charge of the carbon-pricing program at the Washington Department of Ecology say that they are aware of the cost being passed on but can’t do anything about it.

In which US state is gas more expensive in July 2023? And where is it the cheapest?

The states at the top of the list for most expensive gas and those at the bottom are the usual suspects. Those in the West along with Hawaii and Alaska have prices ranging from close to $3.90 up to almost $5 per gallon. States where filling up is the cheapest are mainly in the Deep South and along the Mississippi River. All of them have prices below $3.25 per gallon of regular. Here are the cheapest and most expensive states to fill up as of 1 July 2023: