These Are the Highest Average Gas Prices Ever Recorded in Each New England State

You've probably noticed as you pull up to the pump that gas prices throughout New England are on the rise. As of this writing, the national average price for gas is $3.64. We would have thought that was even more outrageous a decade ago, but that's still ridiculous today. So why is the price going up now?

According to AAA, this is the time of year that refineries start producing what's called the "summer blend." It has a lower vapor pressure to prevent excessive evaporation when outside temperatures rise. Evaporation can cause vapor lock in an engine on hot days, and contribute to unhealthy ozone levels. Production takes longer, and that's why we end up paying about 15 cents more per gallon during the summer.

This isn't the highest we've paid for gas in New England though. Not yet, anyway. 2022 was the year that we paid the most for gasoline than we ever had before. We were also in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, so that played a role in high gas prices as well.

Here are the highest average gas prices ever recorded in each New England state, according to AAA, from the state that paid the least to the most.

Connecticut's average price per gallon peaked on June 14, 2022.

New Hampshire's average price per gallon peaked at $4.99 on May 18, 2022.

Vermont's average price per gallon peaked at $4.99 on June 13, 2022.

Rhode Island's average price per gallon peaked at $5.02 June 13, 2022.

Massachusetts's average price per gallon peaked at $5.04 on June 12, 2022.

Maine had the most expensive gas in New England, when the price per gallon peaked on June 16, 2022.