GasBuddy Releases “2026 Fuel Outlook”

(Undated) — GasBuddy has released its “2026 Fuel Outlook.” They say despite the welcome relief from the highs seen earlier in the decade, GasBuddy expects 2026 to “still bring familiar bouts of volatility tied to seasonal demand, refinery maintenance, hurricane season, and ongoing geopolitical risks.” GasBuddy Head of Petroleum Analysis, Patrick De Haan, says the world has spent years recovering from the “economic whiplash” of the pandemic and the shock of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the situation has been improving quietly since 2022. De Haan says as global central banks slammed the brakes on an overheated economy and new refining capacity came online, we’ve seen fuel prices ease year after year, and 2026 keeps that momentum going. He says it’s not a return to “ultra-cheap fuel,” but for the first time in a long time, the wind is clearly behind drivers’ backs. De Haan says if the market avoids major surprises, sustained averages below $3 per gallon could become commonplace in the year ahead.