Survey: Gas prices fall less than one cent
Average cost little higher than in January
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| GAS PRICES |
Atlanta, Georgia: $1.33
Dallas, Texas: $1.40
Baltimore, Maryland: $1.43
Miami, Florida: $1.48
Hartford, Connecticut: $1.59
Chicago, Illinois: $1.61
Portland, Oregon: $1.50
Portland, Maine: $1.57
Source: Lundberg Survey
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(CNN) -- The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline was virtually unchanged during the past two weeks, falling less than one-tenth of one cent, to remain at $1.48, said Trilby Lundberg, publisher of the Lundberg Survey.
In the first survey of 2003 -- on January 10 -- the price was $1.47,
"It closes the year ... pretty much where it started," Lundberg said.
But during the course of the year, prices spiked twice -- at $1.73 on March 21 amid uncertainty over gas supplies as the Iraq war began and $1.72 on September 12, when blackouts and a pipeline closure led to spotty shortages.
Lundberg predicted prices would not remain where they are, saying the price of crude oil "seems unlikely to fall significantly any time soon."
In addition, the industry faces a double deadline January 1, when the EPA will require lower levels of sulfur in gasoline and New York, Connecticut and California begin banning the additive MBTE.
"The more probable scenario would be gasoline prices would rise from here, not necessarily immediately, but in coming weeks," Lundberg said. "And right now, crude oil prices are high enough to bring gasoline prices up on their own, even without any supply difficulties due to the changes in [specifications] for gasoline."
Drivers in Tulsa, Oklahoma, paid the least for a gallon of self-serve regular, at $1.31; drivers in Honolulu, Hawaii, paid the most, at $1.99.
The survey of about 7,000 gas stations took place Friday.
