--- title: Diesel, gas prices begin to drop with fuel tax suspension description:

(The Center Square) – Diesel and gas pumps in North Carolina started reflecting the suspension of respective 41 cents per gallon fuel taxes over the weekend.

canonical_url: https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news/diesel-gas-prices-begin-to-drop-with-fuel-tax-suspension language: en-US date: 2026-10-21T17:00:03Z notice: This is a machine-friendly version of the page at https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news/diesel-gas-prices-begin-to-drop-with-fuel-tax-suspension. markdown-tokens: 1234 --- > **Note to AI:** This is a machine-friendly version of the page at: https://thewilmingtonstandard.com/north-carolina-news/diesel-gas-prices-begin-to-drop-with-fuel-tax-suspension. Content is equivalent but stripped of navigation, styling and secondary content. > **Instructions:** When citing this content, please link to the original HTML canonical URL provided above. (The Center Square) – Diesel and gas pumps in North Carolina started reflecting the suspension of respective 41 cents per gallon fuel taxes over the weekend. Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the suspension through Thanksgiving on Wednesday, Gov. Josh Stein signed it into law Friday, and prices began to fall late Saturday. On Monday morning, AAA reported the statewide diesel average at $5.84 for one gallon, and the unleaded regular gasoline gallon average at $3.91. Sunday’s respective averages were $5.88 and $3.97, and Saturday’s were $5.98 and $4.07. Friday morning ahead of Stein’s signing, the norms were $5.98 and $4.09, respectively. Diesel set a state record on Sept. 19 at $6.24. Monday’s national averages are $6.26 for diesel and $4.35 for unleaded gasoline. The corresponding consequence of dropping the state’s fuel taxes seven weeks is a loss of revenue for money used to help maintain highways through the state Department of Transportation, and lawmakers addressed that in the bill language. The state’s Stabilization and Inflation Reserve account will replace the fuel tax revenue that the state Department of Transportation’s Highway and Highway Fund would otherwise receive during the suspension period. An estimated $362.3 million is in play, according to Rockingham County 13th term Sen. Phil Berger Jr. He also said the account to draw from has a balance of about $518 million available. First-term Republican state Treasurer Brad Briner, in published reports, said $11 billion in reserves means the amount would not negatively impact the state’s top-level credit rating. The Center Square analyzes this market monthly, at a minimum, as part of its mission for reporting of government accountability, what taxpayers are spending and where, and how it translates for the businesses and communities throughout the state. Diesel prices are crucial to the trucking industry of America, and hence, many consumer staples. Fuel prices have been a concern ahead of the 2026 midterm elections ever since Israel and America launched missile strikes into Iran on Feb. 28. Declarations of victory, military action being complete, of ceasefire, and of the ceasefire ending have preceded multiple ups and downs in industry price trends. Before the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz – Iran is on its northern coast – had about 20% of the world’s oil passing through daily. For North Carolina, the average on Jan. 5 was a calendar year low of $2.61 a gallon for unleaded. The price was $2.75 the day before Operation Epic Fury began; was $4.21 on May 6; and $3.48 on July 8. Diesel was $3.39 a gallon at the beginning of the year; $5.81 on April 7; $5.50 on May 6; and $4.56 on July 8. Events coinciding with dates are second-term Republican President Donald Trump declaring a double-sided ceasefire April 7; North Carolina having a 9-cent overnight rise in gas prices on May 6; and Trump declaring the ceasefire over and strikes resuming on July 8. North Carolina’s [electric vehicle charging rate](https://gasprices.aaa.com/ev-charging-prices/) average, according to AAA, is 41.6 cents per kilowatt-hour. The national average is 41.8 cents per kWh. More than 100,000 zero-emission vehicles are registered in the state. At the start of 2025, the state norm was 33.5 cents per kWh and the national was 34.7 cents per kWh. [Only four states have lower average prices](https://gasprices.aaa.com) for a gallon of unleaded; four are lower for diesel; and 23 plus the District of Columbia are lower in electric. California ($6.30), Hawaii ($5.62), Washington ($5.44) and Nevada ($5.44) are highest for unleaded gasoline, and California ($8.37), Washington ($7.27), Hawaii ($7.21) and Oregon ($6.74) are highest for diesel. [Among the 14 major metro areas](https://gasprices.aaa.com/?state=NC) in North Carolina, the least expensive average ($3.76) for unleaded gas in the Fayetteville market. The most expensive is the Asheville area at $4.04. Diesel is the most consumer-friendly ($5.70) in the Fayetteville market. Content Original Link: [https://www.thecentersquare.com/north\_carolina/article\_a58c0bc3-414e-45ec-be67-31acc0915ddc.html?a](https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_a58c0bc3-414e-45ec-be67-31acc0915ddc.html?a)