GasBuddy: Average Prices Decline for Sixth Straight Week, Little Changes Expected Amid Venezuela Developments01/05/2026You may have noticed that gas prices have gone up or down depending on where you live. GasBuddy says average prices are up almost 21 cents per gallon in Fort Wayne, but are down 21 cents in Toledo in the last week. GasBuddy's head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan explains: “Another week, and motorists have been greeted with the sixth straight weekly decline in the national average price of gasoline as seasonality continues to drive trends at the pump. While more states did see prices rise this week, most of those increases were in ‘price-cycling’ markets, where routine jumps often follow larger declines. Elsewhere, a majority of states saw prices inch lower again. And with GasBuddy’s 2026 Fuel Outlook set for release this week, we’ll soon have a clearer sense of what drivers may face next year— particularly as new developments in Venezuela put fresh attention on the global oil market. Some Americans believe gasoline prices could be impacted in a significant way, but I’m here to throw a bit of cold water on that. Even under the most optimistic outcomes, it could take years of positive developments for additional supply to meaningfully move the needle, and the impact on U.S. gasoline prices may ultimately be limited. For now, I expect gas prices to bottom out in the weeks ahead before beginning their seasonal climb toward March.” -Patrick De Haan.