Overview
- Nationwide pump prices sit just under $2.82 per gallon in early January, according to GasBuddy and AAA.
- GasBuddy projects a $2.97 annual average in 2026, with households spending about $2,083 on gasoline and diesel averaging roughly $3.55.
- The EIA reports 2025 averaged $3.10 per gallon, the third straight yearly decline, driven by cheaper crude tied to oversupply concerns and a softer global outlook.
- Forecasters expect a brief spring rise to just above $3.20 during the switch to summer fuel and refinery maintenance, followed by easing toward midyear and late-year levels near the high $2.70s to $2.80s.
- Prices still vary widely by region, with the Gulf Coast far cheaper than the West Coast, and analysts say a one-time injection of Venezuelan oil would have minimal short-term impact on U.S. pump prices.