Houston drivers are paying more at the pump this week, with average gas prices rising nearly four cents per gallon even as the national average declined slightly, according to GasBuddy.
According to GasBuddy, which tracks fuel prices nationwide and helps drivers find cheaper prices locally, average gasoline prices in Houston rose 3.7 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.87 per gallon Monday. GasBuddy based its figures on a survey of 2,559 stations in Houston.
Conversely, the national average price of gasoline fell 1.6 cents per gallon in the last week, according to GasBuddy. The national average price per gallon Monday was $4.42.
The Houston increase comes as prices have risen more than 35 cents per gallon locally and nationally over the past month, putting more pressure on drivers’ budgets. Houstonians are paying $1.25 more per gallon on average than they were a year ago.
Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday announced he would lift restrictions on dyed diesel to help ease high fuel prices. The Republican governor did so in a disaster proclamation that expands the use of dyed diesel, an off-road fuel that is usually banned from public roadways because it is exempt from fuel taxes.