ST. LOUIS — St. Louis drivers should prepare for a price jump at the pump, according to two of the leading gas price trackers.
Both AAA and GasBuddy are warning drivers in the St. Louis area of an impending price increase as summer comes to an end. GasBuddy said prices could "spike anywhere from 50¢ to $1 per gallon over the next several days."
A press release from GasBuddy said trade sources told them the short-term spike may be due to a refinery outage, but said "there are few details on the particulars on what is driving the increase."
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said the price jump could be limited if the EPA makes an early switch to the winter blend of gasoline.
“While a waiver from the EPA to allow the switch to winter gasoline now could happen, what we absolutely know is that without action, gasoline prices are about to spike in a significant way and motorists should be prepared for increases that could last until a waiver is issued, or the change to winter gasoline happens on September 16," he said in the press release.
In its weekly gas price update, AAA said drivers should be prepared for a longer-term increase in prices due to international developments. The report said crude oil prices reached $87 per barrel, the highest of the year, after reports that Russia and Saudia Arabia would extend production cuts through the end of the year.
“Higher crude oil prices is largely to blame for the increase as crude oil accounts for about 60 percent of the overall price of gasoline,” AAA Spokesperson Nick Chabarria said in the press release.
According to AAA, Missouri has the 10th lowest prices of any state in the country with a weekly average of $3.52 per gallon. Illinois' average gas price of $4.01 is about 20 cents higher than the national average, according to AAA.
To see the cheapest gas prices in the area, click here.