Iowa gasoline prices starting to rise

Gasoline prices are starting to rise again across Iowa as oil prices rebound in the United States and abroad.

Average retail gasoline prices have risen 9.9 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.10 per gallon Sunday, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 2,036 gas outlets in the state. The national average has increased 12.6 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.17 per gallon, according to the gasoline price website.

The average price of a gallon of gasoline in Iowa was $1.12 lower on Sunday than it was a year ago, but 9.2 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. GasBuddy.com reports the national average has increased 1.7 cents per gallon during the last month and stands nearly $1.11 cents per gallon lower than on the same date last month.

Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.com, said gasoline prices in the most recent week posted the largest weekly advance since July 2013.

'While the pace of increases will slow in the week ahead, we're looking at continued gas price increases over the next few weeks,” DeHaan said in a statement accompanying the fuel data.

'Oil prices have risen, contributing to the higher prices, but also worrisome are the refinery strikes initiated over the last week that have oil companies scrambling to keep refineries online. Just yesterday (Sunday), more strikes hit refineries in the Midwest.

'While the strikes are not currently a contributor to higher gasoline prices, should there come a time when the strikes cause less production of refined fuels, motorists can expect (price) spikes.”

Over the last week, the percentage of convenience stores and service stations selling gasoline for less than $2 per gallon fell from more than 50 percent to 27 percent. The number of convenience stores service stations charging more than $2.25 per gallon has risen from 17 percent a week ago to 31 percent on Sunday.