Gas prices have never been higher in the month of August even though demand is down

NewsThe ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran continues to push gas prices to levels never seen before for the month of August. (Staten Island Advance)By Matt Durr | mattdurr@mlive.comGas prices have never been higher in the month of August as the ongoing conflict between the U.S. and Iran continues to push prices up. Despite demand being down, AAA said Thursday that crude oil prices remain in the $80 per barrel range. With crude so high, it’s keeping prices from dropping even though motorists aren’t consuming as much gasoline. Last week, gasoline demand dropped from 8.96 million barrels per day to 8.68 million barrels. As of Friday, Aug. 21, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel is $4.109. That’s up more than three cents from a week ago, nine cents from a month ago and 97 cents from a year ago. “This August is shaping up to be the highest on record. So far, the monthly average is $4.06, currently surpassing 2022 when the monthly average for August was $3.97,” AAA wrote in a blog post Thursday. The five most expensive states for gas as of Aug. 21 are: California — $5.59Hawaii — $5.43Washington — $5.25Alaska — $4.82Nevada — $4.78The five least expensive states for gas as of Aug. 21 are: Indiana — $3.55Texas — $3.64Tennessee — $3.66Mississippi — $3.66South Carolina — $3.68Matt has been a trending news reporter since 2016. He covers a range of topics while focusing on national lottery, automotive news and recalls, FBI warnings, scam alerts and national real estate trends....