Memphis Gas Dips Slightly as Diesel Moves Higher in July 31 AAA Check

Memphis-area regular gasoline prices eased slightly in the latest AAA price check, while diesel moved higher. Regular gas averaged $3.748 per gallon on July 31, down 0.3 cents from the previous check. Diesel averaged $5.141 per gallon, up 0.3 cents.

The daily movements were small and went in opposite directions. The longer comparisons show a larger increase: both fuels remain more expensive than they were one week, one month and one year earlier, with diesel posting the sharper gains.

Regular gas remains above recent comparison points

AAA’s Memphis metro average for regular gasoline was up 3.7 cents from a week earlier, up 22.5 cents from a month earlier, and up 93.4 cents from a year earlier.

Friday’s slight decline therefore does not reverse the broader increase. For Memphis commuters and households, higher prices can add to repeated fill-ups, particularly for drivers with long work trips, school transportation or frequent travel across the metro area.

Diesel posts larger increases

Memphis-area diesel averaged $5.141 per gallon, compared with $5.138 in the previous AAA check. Diesel was up 10.3 cents from a week earlier, 44.2 cents from a month earlier, and $1.637 from a year earlier.

Those increases can matter beyond the pump. Higher diesel costs may put pressure on freight, delivery routes, contracting work, construction, service calls and other operations that depend on commercial vehicles or diesel-powered equipment. Restaurants and retailers may also face transportation-related cost pressure, although the price data do not document specific local business reactions.

National fuel prices also remain elevated

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported a national regular-gas average of $4.096 per gallon and an on-highway diesel average of $5.313 for the week ending July 27. EIA’s July 28 update showed weekly increases of 9.5 cents for gasoline and 17.9 cents for diesel.

That national data provides broader context for elevated fuel costs, but it does not establish a specific Memphis supply problem or explain the daily movement at individual stations.

What Memphis drivers should watch

For commuters, the near-flat regular-gas change offers little immediate relief even though Friday’s average was slightly lower. For contractors, delivery drivers and service businesses, diesel’s larger month-over-month and year-over-year increases may be more significant because fuel is tied directly to vehicle and equipment use.

Weekend travelers should compare stations before filling up. AAA’s figures are Memphis metro averages, not prices at every station, and individual pump prices can vary by location, fuel grade, competition and timing.

What are the highest and lowest pump prices you are seeing around Memphis? Share the station area and fuel type so other local drivers can compare.

Sources

• AAA Fuel Prices — Tennessee
• U.S. Energy Information Administration — Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update