AAA Texas: Weekend Gas Watch; New Statewide High for January

HOUSTON--Jan. 1, 20046, 2004--The statewide average price for self serve regular reached its highest price ever recorded for mid-January, according to AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch.

Currently, the Texas average for a gallon of regular self-serve gasoline is $1.505 a gallon -- six cents more than last week's average and about twelve cents more than last month's average of $1.383 a gallon. The Galveston-Texas City area, which had the cheapest fuel last week, has one of the highest averages this week -- $1.51 a gallon up nearly eight cents. Dallas tops the list at $1.513 -- up nearly six cents compared to last week.

"These gasoline averages are some of the highest we've seen for this time of year," said Rose Rougeau of AAA Texas. "The high price of crude oil and the record cold temperatures across a large portion of the U-S, have helped push fuel prices higher."

AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for automobile trips.

Average Daily Prices as of 12:01 a.m., Jan. 16, 2004:

Area                  1/16/04         Change           Record Price
-----                 --------      ----------       ----------------
Amarillo               $1.470       +4.1 cents       $1.683 (6/1/01)

Austin-San Marcos      $1.504       +6.2 cents       $1.580 (3/19/03)

Beaumont               $1.495       +4.6 cents       $1.609 (3/18/03)

Corpus Christi         $1.488       +4.8 cents       $1.590 (2/20/03)

Dallas                 $1.513       +5.8 cents       $1.666 (5/12/01)

Fort Worth             $1.505       +6.1 cents       $1.660 (5/22/01)

Galveston -            $1.505       +7.7 cents       $1.653 (5/16/01)
Texas City

Houston                $1.499       +6.3 cents       $1.639 (5/12/01)

San Antonio            $1.494       +6.5 cents       $1.582 (3/18/03)

AAA Texas, an affiliate of AAA National, has been serving Texans since 1902. Today, more than a million AAA Texas members benefit from the organization's roadside assistance service, travel agency, financial products, insurance products and services, automotive pricing, buying and financing, trip planning services, and traffic safety programs. Information about these products and services is available on AAA Texas' Web site at www.aaa-texas.com.