Rochester’s average gas price increases again after falling for months

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester’s average gas price rose by 3 cents this week and 9 cents last week, breaking a months-long trend of falling prices.

Prices fell throughout every week in September and October before increasing. The average price in Rochester on Monday is $3.82 per gallon, according to AAA. Although that’s down from a record high all-time high of $4.99 per gallon, set on June 15, it’s still nearly 30 cents higher than this time last year.

Gas prices in Rochester are less expensive than the New York State average, which rose by 5 cents this week and 14 cents last week. AAA said a limited oil supply in the northeast is leading to a jump in prices.

Rochester ranked near the middle for most expensive gas in western New York this week. Rochester’s prices are 4 cents more expensive than in Buffalo and Syracuse. The cheapest price in the region is Elmira, at $3.77 per gallon, while the most expensive is Watertown at $3.90 per gallon.

The cheapest gas in Rochester was $3.39 per gallon on Sunday while the most expensive was 80 cents higher, found a GasBuddy’s survey. You can find the cheapest local stations through a link to GasBuddy.

Rochester’s gas prices beat the national average, $3.80 per gallon, for the second week in a row. Three weeks ago, Rochester was 10 cents lower than the national average.

Gasbuddy said that more than half the states saw an increase in gas prices this week. Prices rose the most along the Great Lakes, New England, and the mid-Atlantic. The national average gas prices rose 4 cents this week, after falling 3 cents last week.

In November, the state and Monroe County gas tax relief entered its fifth month. The tax relief has aimed to save consumers $0.28 per gallon at the pump since June 1.

News10NBC reported on a study that suggests that, while consumers benefited initially from the New York State gas tax relief, middlemen and retailers eventually absorbed the gas tax. Those practices minimized the savings for consumers.

RELATED: So where did the gas tax savings go? The data may have the answers

Gas prices have skyrocketed over the past year because of rapid recovery from the pandemic increased the demand so high that supply couldn’t keep up. Europe’s restrictions on importing Russian oil also scrambled world oil prices, affecting the U.S. even though the U.S. imports very little Russian oil. 

You can explore gas price trends on the website for AAA.