Gas prices in Northern West Virginia are eight cents more expensive this week at $2.277 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

Only three Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states have more expensive gas price averages on the week, including West Virginia (+3 cents). The rest of the region is paying less to fill-up as compared to last Monday.

With regional utilization up 2.2 percent to 74.6 and an increase in imports, the region’s gasoline stocks built by 2.3 million barrels for the week ending February 1 – the largest of any region according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. Total stocks register at 71.3 million barrels, which is a number not seen in the region since early 2017, and should help keep fluctuation in gas prices relatively moderate in the week ahead.

This week’s average prices: Northern West Virginia Average — $2.277.

Average price during the week of Feb. 4 — $2.196.

Average price during the week of Feb. 12, 2018 — $2,592.

The following is a list of the average prices in several West Virginia locations:

$2.299 Bridgeport

$2.245 Clarksburg

$2.267 Huntington

$2.359 Martinsburg

$2.225 Morgantown

$2.295 Parkersburg

$2.277 Weirton

$2.247 Wheeling

On the week, the national gas price average is two cents more expensive, landing at $2.28. At the start of the workweek, nearly half of all state averages also saw jumps – some at or more than a dime increase.

Frigid temperatures across much of the country have contributed toward a half a million barrel per day drop in demand to measure at 9 million barrels – a level consistent with a year ago according to the EIA. At the same time, gasoline stocks saw a nominal 513,000-barrel increase for a total of 257.8 million barrels. While demand is mostly flat year-over-year, total stocks sit at a 124-million-barrel surplus.

Crude oil has remained relatively cheap since the beginning of the year, moving between $51- $55 per barrel. At the close of Friday’s formal trading session on the NYMEX, WTI increased eight cents to settle at $52.72. Oil prices were volatile last week, following the release of new data from the EIA showing that at the end of the previous week, total domestic crude oil inventories rose less than expected – a build of only 1.3 million barrels to total 447.2 million.

Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.