DETROIT (FOX 2) - The start of 2023 is bringing some very unwelcome news for drivers as gas prices are up nearly a quarter per gallon since the last week of 2022.
According to AAA, gas prices in Michigan are up 21 cents versus a week ago and drivers are now paying, on average, $3.20 per gallon for regular unleaded. That's still down 29 cents from the same time last month - but is 10 cents higher than at the start of 2022.
To fill a full 15-gallon tank, it costs roughly $48. The good news is that's $30 less for a full 15-gallon tank than it was when it was at its highest in June 2022.
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"Michigan motorists are seeing higher gas prices as they ring in 2023," said Adrienne Woodland, spokesperson, AAA-The Auto Club Group. "An increase in crude oil prices to close out 2022, along with a busy holiday travel season have led to higher pump prices."
The highest average prices are here in Metro Detroit where the average is $3.21 per gallon - 19 cents more than it was last week and a penny cheaper than January 2022.
If you're looking for the cheapest places to buy gas, the Detroit area, Saginaw ($3.21), and Ann Arbor ($3.20) are not the places to search. Those are the three highest areas in the state.
The least expensive are going to take a bit of a drive and, even then, they're not drastically far off from the state's average: Benton Harbor ($3.15), Jackson ($3.17), Traverse City ($3.18).
There's even more bad news: this could be only the beginning of increasing gas prices.
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