Tennessee gas prices are off to their lowest start to a new year since 2019 and the state gas price average remains unchanged over last week. The Tennessee Gas Price average is now $2.04 which is 14 cents more than one month ago and 35 cents less than one year ago.
“Holiday road travel was down at least 25%. With fewer people on the road, Tennessee motorist saw little change at the pump from the last week of 2020 to the first few days of 2021,” said Megan Cooper, spokeswoman, AAA - The Auto Club Group.
Quick Facts
• 50% of Tennessee gas stations have prices below $2.00
• The lowest 10% of pump prices are $1.87 for regular unleaded
• The highest 10% of pump prices are $2.31 for regular unleaded
• Tennessee remains the 10th least expensive market in the nation
Example of Prices in Murfreesboro, TN
Thorntomns on Old Fort Pkwy: $1.87/Regular
MAPCO Mart on Memorial Blvd: $1.90/Regular
Kroger on W Northfield Blvd: $1.90/Regular
National Gas Prices
The new year has started, but the national gas price average remains unchanged, holding steady at $2.25 for the last 12 days. Pump price stability at the start of the year is credited to consistent crude oil prices in late December, about $47-48/bbl, combined with low demand. U.S. gasoline demand, as recorded by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), was at the lowest level for the last week of December in 23 years (since 1998) – at 8.1 million b/d.
While the national gas price average is nine cents more than last month, January gas prices are already 33 cents cheaper than this time last year. That is the largest year-over-year difference at the beginning of January since 2015. AAA expects demand to dwindle in coming weeks and gas prices to likely be cheaper, especially if crude oil holds at the current price point.
How high or low gas prices will go in 2021 will largely depend on crude oil prices, supply and demand. AAA expects that as the vaccine becomes more widely available and states loosen travel restrictions, Americans will begin to drive more and at that point we will see an impact at the pump. At $2.17, 2020 saw the lowest annual national gas price average since 2016.
National Oil Market Dynamics
At the close of Thursday’s formal trading session, WTI increased by 12 cents to settle at $48.50. Crude prices increased last week due to a weak dollar and rising market optimism that coronavirus vaccines will help crude oil demand recover in 2021. However, as coronavirus infection rates continue to climb and travel restrictions increase, crude prices will likely be capped this week.
Tennessee Regional Prices
• Most expensive metro markets – Jackson ($2.08), Memphis ($2.
• Least expensive metro markets – Chattanooga ($1.96), Cleveland ($1.96), Kingsport ($2.02)
