Drivers in Denver are paying more and more for fuel. According to GasBuddy, the average price of regular gasoline in the city on Monday, Oct. 26, was about $4.46 a gallon, up 25.4 cents from a week earlier.
Over the past month, fuel in Denver has gotten about 42 cents more expensive, and compared with last year the price is up a full $1.69 a gallon. GasBuddy, which analyzed prices at 844 stations, noted that this is the highest average recorded in Denver on this date in five years. Differences between stations are considerable, however: the cheapest gasoline was available for $3.73, and the most expensive for $4.77 a gallon.
Prices in Denver differ markedly from the national average, which GasBuddy puts at about $4.24 and says did not change over the past week (AAA reports $4.29). GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan links the local price spike to maintenance work at the Suncor refinery in Commerce City, the only operating refinery in Colorado. The company announced on Oct. 19 that work was planned for that week. Refinery outages limit the supply of fuel on the local market and usually translate quickly into prices at the pump. A similar increase was seen in February 2023, when Suncor had a breakdown.
Suncor did not respond to questions about whether more work is planned in the near future. Experts advise drivers to compare prices at stations before filling up.
Source: Denver Gazette, GasBuddy
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