Baltimore Gas Eases to $4.158 While Diesel Rises to $5.419 in August 1 Check

Regular gasoline prices eased slightly in the Baltimore metro area on Saturday, August 1, while diesel moved higher. AAA’s latest Baltimore metro check put regular gas at $4.158 per gallon and diesel at $5.419.

The split movement offers a small short-term break for gasoline commuters, but it keeps pressure on diesel-dependent drivers and businesses, including delivery companies, contractors, service operators and other commercial fleets.

Regular gas is down from the last check and last week

AAA listed Baltimore-area regular gasoline at $4.158 on August 1, down 0.2 cents from the previous day and 2.2 cents from a week earlier, when the metro average was $4.180.

The longer comparisons remain less favorable. Regular gas was 42.2 cents higher than one month ago, when AAA listed the average at $3.736, and 98.2 cents higher than one year ago, when the average was $3.176.

A driver filling a 15-gallon tank would pay about $62.37 at the August 1 metro average, before station-specific differences, payment discounts or loyalty savings. Individual pump prices in Baltimore and surrounding communities can vary from the metro figure.

Diesel rises while remaining well above older comparisons

Diesel moved in the opposite direction. AAA’s Baltimore metro average increased 0.3 cents from the previous day and 0.7 cents from a week earlier, rising from $5.412 to $5.419 per gallon.

Diesel was also 65.2 cents higher than one month ago, when AAA listed the average at $4.767, and $1.584 higher than one year ago, when AAA listed it at $3.835.

For a 100-gallon commercial fill-up, the August 1 average works out to about $541.90. That makes the diesel trend relevant to delivery fleets, construction and repair crews, landscaping companies, buses, restaurants that depend on deliveries and other businesses that use diesel vehicles or equipment.

Regional and national context

The broader fuel data also showed higher prices in the latest available report. The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s July 28 release, based on July 27 data, put Central Atlantic regular gasoline at $4.174 per gallon, up 7.6 cents from the prior week.

EIA listed U.S. on-highway diesel at $5.313 per gallon on July 27, up 17.9 cents from a week earlier. Its Central Atlantic diesel figure was $5.579, up 20.9 cents over the same period. Those figures provide regional and national context, but they are not Baltimore station prices.

What drivers and businesses should watch

For households and commuters, the gasoline decline from the previous day and week may modestly reduce the cost of a weekend trip or regular work commute. The much larger monthly and annual increases still mean fuel remains a significant household expense.

Diesel users face a different pattern. Fleets, contractors and service businesses may see higher operating costs even as gasoline prices edge lower. Those costs can affect delivery charges, service calls, construction work and other prices over time, although the AAA comparison alone does not establish a specific cause.

Station prices can differ by neighborhood, brand, payment method and competition. Before filling up, compare nearby pumps rather than relying only on the metro average.

What are the highest and lowest gasoline or diesel prices you are seeing around Baltimore? Share the station location and posted price with readers.

Sources

• AAA Fuel Prices — Maryland Metro Average Prices
• U.S. Energy Information Administration — Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update