CHICAGO – The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rose nine cents since last week to hit $3.64 and Illinois’s average is currently over $4 dollars. According to the American Automobile Association, The main culprit is the high cost of oil which is hovering in the low $80s per barrel. AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross says when the cost of crude oil crosses the $80 a barrel mark, that puts a lot of upward pressure on what we pay at the pump and as long as oil costs remain at the current level, drivers will likely see incremental price increases. LaSalle and Bureau counties pump prices are up averaging $3.83 cents per gallon while Putnam County is averaging around $3.75.
