Oil Prices Spike, National Gas Price Average Up Nearly 30 Cents in One Week

April 30, 2026/Joe Ciccanti

After trending downward for nearly two weeks, gas prices have seen a 27-cent spike nationwide in the last week. AAA reports that the national average is $1.12 higher than it was this time last year, as oil prices surge above $100/barrel with no indication of when the Strait of Hormuz will reopen. Gas prices are the highest they’ve been in four years, since late July 2022. The Delaware gas price average is $4.16 today, up 29 cents in the last week and $1.17 higher than one year ago. The South Jersey gas price average is $4.25 today, up 38 cents in the last week and up $1.28 compared to one year ago. The national average per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public EV charging station rose one cent this past week to 41 cents. In Delaware, the average per kWh of electricity rose one cent to 37 cents. 

Additional Information From AAA:

CURRENT AND PAST GAS PRICE AVERAGES

Regular Unleaded Gasoline (*indicates record high)

 

04/30/26

Week Ago

Year Ago

National

$4.30

$4.03

$3.18

Pennsylvania

$4.33

$4.11

$3.36

Philadelphia

(5-county)

$4.36

$4.04

$3.14

South Jersey

$4.25

$3.87

$2.97

Delaware

$4.16

$3.87

$3.99

Crude Oil

$106.88 per barrel

(04/29/26)

$92.96 per barrel

(04/22/26)

$60.59 per barrel (05/01/25)

 

CURRENT EV COST AVERAGES

Per kWh of electricity at an L2 commercial charging station

 

04/30/26

Week Ago

National

$0.41

$0.40

Pennsylvania

$0.43

$0.41

Delaware

$0.37

$0.36

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand increased last week from 9.05 million b/d to 9.10 million. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 228.4 million barrels to 222.3 million. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.8 million barrels per day.

 

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI rose $6.95 to settle at $106.88 a barrel. The EIA reports crude oil inventories decreased by 6.2 million barrels from the previous week. At 459.5 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 1% above the five-year average for this time of year.

 

The Weekend

“Continued uncertainty in the Middle East, specifically the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, has sent crude oil prices soaring well above $100 per barrel and gas prices upwards of $4 per gallon, a level not seen in four years,” said Jana Tidwell, spokesperson for AAA Club Alliance. “As motorists grapple with pain at the pump due to rising crude oil prices, increased seasonal demand and the switchover to more expensive summer blended gasoline are seasonal factors pushing gas prices higher this time of year.”

 

AAA has a variety of resources to help motorists save on fuel:

 

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