Price of gas in R.I. breaks $4,<br> diesel nears $5 in AAA survey

PROVIDENCE – The price of gasoline has increased for the 10th consecutive week, AAA said in its weekly fuel-price report, making Rhode Island one of 13 states nationwide where self-serve regular now averages at least $4 per gallon.
In AAA’s June 2 survey, the self-serve price of regular unleaded gas at local stations averaged $4.019 per gallon – an increase of 5 cents from last week and 88 cents from the beginning of the year – setting a new local record for the eighth week in a row. A year ago, the average local price was $3.069.
(AAA and the Oil Price Information Service also conduct a daily survey, in which the average price of self-serve regular at local stations reached $4.009 on Thursday, the auto club said.)
Nationwide, the price of self-serve regular rose 4 cents over the past week to $3.97 per gallon, or 4 cents below the Ocean State average in this week’s survey. In Massachusetts, the average price rose 6 cents over the past week to $3.969 per gallon.
The range in prices for self-serve regular at Rhode Island stations widened to 17 cents, from $3.949 to $4.119. Wider ranges were seen for other grades of gasoline, which had average self-serve prices of $4.149 for midgrade unleaded (up 6 cents from last week’s survey) and $4.259 for premium (up 7 cents).
Meanwhile, the self-serve price of diesel at local stations inched toward the $5-per-gallon mark, rising 4 cents over the past week to $4.939 after rising 22 cents the week before, AAA found.
“Remember, reducing speed, properly inflating tires and removing a roof rack or heavy trunk items can significantly improve your mileage,” the auto club said.
AAA Southern New England is a nonprofit auto club providing travel, insurance, finance and auto-related services to more than 2 million local members with 34 offices in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. To find the most up-to-date self-service and full-service gasoline prices in a given area, go to www.AAA.com and click on Gas Saving Tips & Tools.