Gas prices remain stable as hurricane season kicks into high gear. Last week, gas prices slipped slightly before sliding back to $3.22 as Hurricane Helene hit the Gulf of Mexico and parts of Florida, according to a new report from the Automobile Association of America (AAA).  

“Hurricane Helene will likely impact gasoline demand, but not supply,” said Andrew Gross, manager of AAA Public Relations. “The storm is missed the Gulf’s oil production and refining centers as it lumbered through the Southeast. But power outages, structural damage and road flooding will hinder people from fueling up for a few days. So, any impact on the national average will probably be fleeting.”

The price of electric vehicle (EV) charging remained unchanged, with demand falling significantly as evacuation orders took hold. There are more than 1.2 million households in America with one or more electric vehicles. The current national average of a kilowatt of electricity at a public charging station is 35 cents. 

New Energy Information Administration data shows that gas demand rose from 8.77 million barrels per day last week to 9.20 as Hurricane Helene made landfall. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks fell slightly from 221.6 million barrels to 220.1 million barrels, while gasoline production increased last week, averaging 9.8 million barrels per day. The AAA noted that “tepid gasoline demand” and low oil costs will continue to drive fuel costs down well into the close of 2024. 

California remains the most expensive gasoline market, averaging $4.71, followed by Hawaii and Washington. The cheapest gasoline markets can be found in Mississippi, where the average price sits at $2.71, followed by Louisiana and Tennessee. 

The most affordable place to charge a vehicle in the United States is Kansas, averaging 22 cents a kilowatt-hour. Hawaii is the most expensive market to charge a vehicle, coming in at 57 cents per kilowatt-hour.