The best time for Louisiana drivers to gas up their vehicle

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - You might want to fill up your gas tank Tuesday if you’re running low in Louisiana. A study from GasBuddy says drivers will find the best value at the pumps on that day of the week.

Average gasoline prices in the U.S. are up 50 cents per gallon since January.

GasBuddy analyzed gas price data from January to March and found that Mondays offer the lowest average gas price in 30 states.

Friday is the most expensive day and one of the busiest days to fill up in Louisiana, while Saturday is the worst day in 16 other states.

“As the week progresses and our excitement builds for the weekend, gas prices also tend to rise. The most expensive day to fill-up remains Friday when looking at averages, while 16 states saw Saturday have the highest average price,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Sundays represented the third-worst day to fill up, bringing our study to a conclusion that weekends are the worst time to fill up. You might as well flush money down the toilet.”

Nationally, Mondays and Tuesdays were the cheapest days to fill up in 2017 and 2018.

What about waiting in line? Gas stations across the country are least busy on Sundays, followed by Mondays.

Friday is the busiest day, with 5 p.m. being the busiest time for gas stations nationwide.

“While filling up on a Sunday can save time, it doesn’t save money,” says DeHaan. “Our data shows that filling up on a Monday morning each week can collectively save drivers $2.1 billion and avoid the possibility of playing bumper cars at the pumps.”

Commuters in Louisiana should fill up or “top off” on Tuesday between 7 a.m. – 10 a.m. to avoid lines and save a little cash.