Delaware - People are now paying more at the pump after nearly two months of gas prices below or near $2. This is especially true for Delawareans as the state is currently number 1 in the country for weekly gas price increases according to recent data from AAA.
According to AAA, as of Monday, gas prices rose about 10 cents at Delaware pumps. Maryland places at 9th in the country with a 5 cent increase in gas prices.
Ken Grant, Public and Government Affairs manager with AAA Mid-Atlantic, explains that the recent uptick throughout the region is due in part to increased demand as states continue to ease COVID-19 restrictions.
Grant noted that while prices are on the rise they are not yet set to be on par with last year's prices during this time. "We just don’t see that happening yet, barring any kind of major developments be that weather related or geopolitical related," he said.
Increasing demands for gas can be attributed to not only gradual returns to the workplace, but also families turning to road trips to combat cabin fever brought on by quarantine. Grant noting that AAA has had several recent inquiries about RV rentals.
AAA estimates that Americans will take 700 million trips this summer (down 15% from last year) with 683 million of these excursions happening by car.