Gas prices across the U.S. remained largely unaffected as of Sept. 26, settling at a national average of $3.22 per gallon despite the looming threat of Hurricane Helene. While the storm is expected to cause temporary disruption in fuel demand due to flooding and power outages, the hurricane is missing key oil production and refining areas, reducing its impact on supply.
“Hurricane Helene will likely impact gasoline demand, but not supply,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “The storm is missing the Gulf’s oil production and refining centers as it lumbers through the Southeast. But power outages, structural damage, and road flooding will hinder people from fueling up for a few days. So any impact on the national average will probably be fleeting.”
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a rise in gas demand from 8.77 million barrels per day (b/d) to 9.20 million b/d over the week leading up to Sept. 26. However, gasoline stocks fell slightly from 221.6 million barrels to 220.1 million barrels. Despite the increased demand, gas prices continue to trend downward, 13 cents lower than last month and 61 cents less than a year ago.
Meanwhile, public charging costs for EVs remained unchanged, with the national average holding at 35 cents per kilowatt hour. AAA estimates that 1.2 million of its members own electric vehicles, prompting the organization to monitor EV charging costs closely.
States such as Kansas and Missouri offer some of the lowest rates for public charging, at 22 cents and 24 cents per kilowatt hour, respectively. On the opposite end, Hawaii remains the most expensive state for public EV charging, with rates at 57 cents per kilowatt hour.
While gas prices are expected to stay relatively stable, experts note that weather events like Hurricane Helene could create temporary disruptions in fuel supply chains, though the effects are expected to be short-lived.
