Tempe-Area Gas Hits $4.50; Diesel Nears $5.60 as Prices Rise

Regular gasoline and diesel prices rose again in the Phoenix-Mesa market that includes Tempe, according to AAA’s July 31 price check. Regular gas averaged $4.495 per gallon, while diesel averaged $5.596.

Compared with the last update, regular gas increased 3.3 cents and diesel increased 5.2 cents. Diesel also continued to move faster across the longer comparison periods.

Regular gas is higher across every comparison window

AAA’s Phoenix-Mesa average for regular gasoline was up 3.3 cents from the previous day, 13.6 cents from a week earlier, 59.7 cents from a month earlier and $1.203 from a year earlier.

The East Valley average was slightly higher at $4.502 per gallon. That figure provides additional context for Tempe drivers, but neither number should be read as an official price at every station in the city. Pump prices can vary by neighborhood, station, fuel grade, discounts and payment method.

Diesel is approaching $5.60

Diesel rose 5.2 cents from the previous day to reach a Phoenix-Mesa average of $5.596 per gallon. It was up 19.0 cents from the previous week, 67.7 cents from the previous month and $1.952 from a year earlier.

The East Valley diesel average was $5.570 per gallon. The sharper diesel increases matter beyond pickup and commercial-truck drivers because diesel is also used by delivery fleets, contractors, service companies and other businesses that move equipment or goods.

What higher prices could mean in Tempe

For commuters, the increase raises the cost of regular driving compared with last week and last month. Households with multiple vehicles may feel the change more quickly, particularly when daily work, school, errands or weekend travel require longer trips.

Fuel-dependent businesses may also face higher operating costs. Delivery operators, restaurants that rely on regular shipments, contractors traveling between job sites and service businesses making house calls could see more pressure on trip costs. Those expenses may be absorbed, passed along through prices or managed by reducing or combining trips, but the AAA figures alone do not document how individual businesses are responding.

The Phoenix-Mesa and East Valley numbers are regional averages covering the Tempe market, not a single Tempe station price. Drivers comparing pumps should check the posted price, available loyalty discounts and whether the station is charging a different amount for cash or credit.

Where are prices highest and lowest in Tempe right now? Share the station and price you are seeing locally.

Sources

• AAA Arizona Phoenix-Mesa and East Valley fuel-price tables
• U.S. Energy Information Administration gasoline and diesel update