GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — It’s Tuesday, which means we’re here to help you figure out the best time to fill up and save a little extra money.
According to GasBuddy.com, gas prices in West Michigan are up nearly 22 cents from last week. The area’s average price is now sitting at $3.30 per gallon.
Here’s a look at average prices across West Michigan, by county:
- Kent County: $3.06 per gallon
- Muskegon County: $3.11 per gallon
- Ottawa County: $3.08 per gallon
- Kalamazoo County: $3.01 per gallon
So, when’s the best time to fill up? Prices jumped nearly 22 cents on Monday alone. If you can hold off until closer to the weekend, you could save 10 to 15 cents per gallon on average.
With fall right around the corner, the switch to the fall gasoline blend typically brings lower prices for drivers — but an active hurricane season could keep prices elevated.
“The total Accumulated Cyclone Energy so far this hurricane season has been the lowest since 2009, meaning that there’s not a whole lot of energy right now coming out of the warm waters in the Gulf,” said Patrick De Haan, a GasBuddy analyst. The good news: The current outlook shows a quieter hurricane season. But with how warm the Gulf is, the threat of strong hurricanes still looms.
The main concern with a strong storm is when refineries sustain wind damage or flooding, which can knock them offline, delay oil deliveries, and disrupt crude oil production — all of which can push gas prices higher.
According to the Atlantic Council, Hurricane Harvey struck a major refining center in Houston in 2017 and caused U.S. gas prices to jump 13% in just a few days.
“That area between Houston, Texas, and New Orleans — that’s the zone to watch if you see a Category 3, 4, or 5 storm, or even a tropical system that parks and dumps rain,” De Haan said. “The primary threats to refineries are in these low-lying areas.”As De Haan noted, refineries are densely concentrated between Houston and New Orleans. Five years ago, a major refinery in Louisiana shut down permanently after flooding from a hurricane.
The heart of hurricane season runs from mid-August through mid-September.
