We're going to feel the effects of OPEC cutting back on production in 2016.
Gasbuddy.com chief petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan says we're okay now, but it won't last.
"Right now Houston's paying an average of about $2.21 a gallon and that's seven cents more than last year, but on a yearly basis it is likely to go up."
DeHaan says it'll be noticeably higher this spring.
"It may likely be the priciest year at the pumps since 2014 with average prices anywhere from ten to thirty cents a gallon higher on any given day than what we saw in 2017."
Triple A says at $2.49, the national gas price average is the most expensive seen at the start of a new year since 2014. DeHaan says you need to shop around.
"Gone are the days where every station charges the same amount and motorists can just go fill up; the days are now here where some stations, especially in Houston, are under two dollars and some are a dollar a gallon more at $2.89."
DeHaan says the OPEC production cuts in 2016 are coming home to roost; that and the switch to more expensive fuel may make for a pricey summer at the pumps. DeHaan says the price could jump 30 cents by this spring.