Charleston Metro Gas Falls to $3.673; Diesel Rises to $5.271

Regular gasoline prices eased in the Charleston-North Charleston metro on Aug. 1, while diesel moved higher and remained above $5 per gallon. AAA listed the metro average at $3.673 for regular gas and $5.271 for diesel.

The two fuel categories moved in opposite directions from the previous day’s check. Regular gas fell 2.2 cents from $3.695 on July 31, while diesel rose 4.1 cents from $5.230.

Gasoline gives commuters modest relief

For gasoline drivers, the latest decline extends a larger weekly decrease. The metro regular-gas average was $3.805 one week earlier, making the current price 13.2 cents lower than that reading.

AAA’s data also places the current gasoline average above its recent comparison points from a month and a year earlier. The Aug. 1 metro average was 9.9 cents higher than the $3.574 monthly comparison and 84.8 cents higher than the $2.825 year-ago figure.

The daily decline may offer limited relief to commuters and households filling up this weekend, but the monthly and yearly comparisons show that regular gas remains more expensive than it was during those earlier periods.

Diesel costs move the other way

Diesel users faced a sharper short-term increase. The Charleston-North Charleston average climbed 4.1 cents from the previous daily check and was 0.8 cents higher than the $5.263 average listed for the prior week.

Diesel was also above the comparison figures AAA listed for a month and a year earlier: $4.620 and $3.530, respectively. The current average is 65.1 cents above the monthly figure and $1.741 above the year-ago comparison.

That split matters for commercial fleets and equipment operators. Delivery companies, contractors, service businesses, truck operators, restaurants receiving supplies and businesses using diesel-powered equipment may face more fuel-cost pressure than gasoline-dependent households even as regular gas prices ease.

Metro averages are not station prices

AAA’s figures cover the Charleston-North Charleston metro average, not the price at every station in Charleston or nearby communities. Pump prices can vary by location, brand, payment method and neighborhood, so drivers should compare nearby stations before filling up.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration‘s latest national fuel update was released July 28, with its next scheduled release on Aug. 4. For local decisions today, the AAA metro figures provide the more direct comparison for Charleston-area drivers.

What are you seeing at local pumps? Share the highest and lowest gasoline or diesel prices you have found around Charleston.

Sources

• AAA Fuel Prices — South Carolina metro averages
• U.S. Energy Information Administration — Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update