Gas Prices Hold Still in Montana, Up Less Than One Cent

Montana Gas prices went up again over the second week of August, but the rise appears to be slowing.

"Average prices across Montana really haven't moved a lot," said GasBuddy.com Petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan. "It seems like the upward increases have really run out of steam. Over the last week, Montana's average price for a gallon of gas has increased by just four-tenths of a penny."

While prices in Montana seems to be climbing at an extremely slow pace, the national average is falling.

"Average prices in Montana are $3.70 a gallon," said DeHaan. One week ago they were $3.69. Prices a month ago were $3.60. If we go all the way back a year, prices were $3.50. The national average currently stands at $3.58, that's three cents lower than where it was a month ago when it was $3.61. It's quite a bit lower, about ten cents lower, than the price a year ago when the national average stood at $3.68 a gallon."

"The current price in Montana is high, even if you look at a five year average. Dehaan says that increasing fuel prices are a side effect of a recovering economy and that the lower prices in 2011 and before, were do partly, to a more stagnant economy.

Patrick Dehaan: