Regular gasoline averaged $4.331 a gallon across the United States on October 12, according to the Energy Information Administration. That is $1.27 more than a year earlier. It is also 2.3 cents below the week before, the second straight weekly drop.
Two weeks earlier, on September 28, the national average was $4.465. Prices have eased by about 13 cents since then, which still leaves a gallon far above where it stood a year ago.
Three Mondays of prices
The EIA’s weekly survey shows regular at $4.465 on September 28, $4.354 on October 5 and $4.331 on October 12. The agency released the latest reading on October 14 and plans the next one for October 20.
A year ago, regular cost about $3.06 a gallon, which is simply today’s price minus the $1.270 the EIA reports as the yearly change. The gap against two years ago is $1.160, so today’s pump price is also well above 2024.
For a driver who uses 600 gallons a year, the extra $1.27 a gallon adds up to about $760. That is arithmetic on the national average, not the EIA’s estimate, and the real figure depends on how far a person drives and what the car gets per gallon.
A $2.25 gap between California and the Gulf Coast
Where a driver fills up matters almost as much as when. On October 12, regular averaged $6.104 in California, $5.639 on the West Coast as a whole and $5.071 on the West Coast outside California. The Rocky Mountain region was at $4.439 and New England at $4.291.
The cheapest region was the Gulf Coast at $3.851, which is $2.253 below California. The Lower Atlantic states were at $3.929 and the Midwest at $4.145.
For households watching a tight budget, the question is which bills have help attached. Gasoline does not, but the cost of getting to work and heating a home both move with energy prices. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says in its September inflation report that the energy index is up 20.4% over twelve months and the gasoline index is up 34.2%, so many monthly bills have crept up together.
What changed this year: Social Security and Medicare change every year, and nobody sends you a memo. The Retirement Money Brief breaks down what changed and what to do.
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Last week’s moves and what a fill-up costs
Most regions fell last week, led by a 12.3-cent drop in California and an 8.8-cent drop on the West Coast as a whole. Two went the other way: the Midwest rose 3.6 cents and the Rocky Mountain region rose 2.2 cents. Year over year, every region is up by at least $1.08.
California drivers saw the biggest yearly jump among the regions, up $1.647, and a 15-gallon fill-up there costs about $92. Outside California, the West Coast average rose $1.122 over the year.
At the pump, a 15-gallon fill-up costs about $65 at the national average, roughly $19 more than a year ago. Both numbers are arithmetic on the EIA’s average price and ignore tank size and local differences.
On-highway diesel averaged $6.179 a gallon on October 12, down 2.0 cents on the week and up $2.514 from a year ago, when it cost about $3.67. Diesel prices include all taxes, and diesel costs $1.848 more per gallon than regular.
What is in a gallon
The biggest piece of a gallon is crude oil. According to the EIA’s explainer on gasoline prices, crude was 51.4% of the 2025 retail price. Refining costs and profits were 14.3%, distribution and marketing 17.8%, and federal and state taxes 16.6%.
The federal tax on gasoline is 18.40 cents a gallon. The EIA’s 2025 average retail price was $3.10 a gallon, so today’s $4.331 is about 40% above that annual average.
The BLS gasoline index measures price changes a different way, as a monthly index that rose 9.1% in September alone. The EIA’s weekly price and the BLS index both point the same direction, and both show gasoline climbing far faster than the 3.7% overall inflation rate BLS reports.
Diesel at $6.179 and what trucks pass along
Energy bill help is income-based
For households that need relief on the home energy side, the government’s energy bill help page describes the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. It helps cover heating or cooling costs and may provide emergency help during an energy crisis.
Each state runs its own version, with income limits it sets. Some offices accept applications online and others require a visit, and the page links a search tool for finding the right office. It also points to weatherization help for homes that waste energy. The page says eligibility for that Weatherization Assistance Program depends on income, and that people who receive TANF or SSI may also qualify.
The open question after a $1.27 jump is whether the next weekly reading, due October 20, keeps falling. A household cannot control that number. It can only find out which programs could reduce the bills that are not tied to the pump.
Gas at $4.33 and a heating bill coming?
Regular gas is $1.27 above a year ago and the energy index is up 20.4%, while help with energy bills depends on income and state rules. A household that never checks which programs it fits can pay full price for years.
The Benefits Checklist is about the bills the pump does not touch. It scans 11 benefit programs, including heating help, SNAP and Medicare Savings Programs, and the proof is in the detail: the 2026 income limits for each program and a 50-state phone directory so each application goes to the right office.
Match household bills to 11 programs in a printable checklist →
More Financial Reading
- 21 Ways to Stretch a $2,087 Social Security Check
- 15 Places to Find Your Share of the $4.25 Billion States Give Back
- 21 Ways Retirees Can Raise $1,000 Fast Without a Job
This article was produced with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
Warren Cohen is a finance writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, covering personal finance topics including credit, banking, and beginner investing. He earned his degree in business administration from Arizona State University and began his career working in consumer finance, where he gained direct experience with lending and credit systems. He now writes for personal finance websites and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, practical content that helps readers make informed financial decisions.
