Prices are edging closer to $2.99 as oil markets rebound slightly

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The national average price of gasoline fell 6.4 cents in the past week to $3.02 per gallon, according to GasBuddy data.

• The average is 13.7 cents lower than a month ago and 14.4 cents cheaper than a year ago.

• Diesel prices declined 3.5 cents, bringing the national average to $3.63 per gallon.

For the first time in years, U.S. motorists may soon see the national average gas price dip below $3 per gallon. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said prices have fallen in most of the country, setting the stage for continued relief at the pump.

Americans appear to be on the cusp of seeing the national average drop below $3 per gallon and potentially stay there for the first time in years, De Haan said in the companys blog. With well over 40 states seeing gas prices decline and oil plunging below $60 per barrel, we could even see a handful of stations in places like Oklahoma, Texas, or even Wisconsin drop below $2 per gallon in the weeks ahead.

De Haan also noted that with wages rising and fuel prices falling, consumers are spending the smallest share of their income on gasoline in years a welcome reprieve after years of volatile energy costs.

Trade tensions and OPEC output

Oil markets were shaken last week after President Trump threatened new tariffs on China in response to restrictions on rare earth exports. The prospect of a renewed trade war sent WTI crude tumbling below $60 per barrel before recovering slightly early Monday to $59.49, down from $61.85 a week earlier. Brent crude traded at $63.32, down from $65.56 last Monday.

UBS commodities analyst Giovanni Staunovo said that ongoing tensions between the worlds two largest economies have weighed on demand expectations. Meanwhile, continued production increases from OPEC+ have added pressure to already soft markets.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administrations latest report, U.S. crude inventories rose by 3.7 million barrels during the week ending October 3, 2025, though levels remain about 4% below seasonal norms. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve increased slightly to 407 million barrels.

Gasoline inventories dropped 1.6 million barrels, about 1% below the five-year seasonal average, while distillate stocks fell 2.0 million barrels. Refinery utilization rose to 92.4%, and gasoline demand jumped by more than 400,000 barrels per day, signaling resilient consumer fuel use even as prices decline.

Gas price trends

The most common pump price across the U.S. is $2.79 per gallon, with the median price at $2.85, roughly 17 cents below the national average.

States leading the nation with the lowest prices include Oklahoma ($2.50), Mississippi ($2.62), and Texas ($2.62). On the high end, California ($4.62), Hawaii ($4.46), and Washington ($4.41) remain the most expensive markets.

The largest weekly drops were seen in Ohio (-18.3), Michigan (-13.9), and Indiana (-13.4), while Texas and Washington also posted double-digit declines.

Sixty models sold for more than $75,000 in September

By Mark Huffman of ConsumerAffairs

• The average new-vehicle price in the U.S. surpassed $50,000 for the first time in September.
• Electric vehicles hit record highs in both sales and market share, despite elevated prices.
• Rising luxury and EV sales continue to push transaction prices upward amid modest incentive growth.

The average transaction price (ATP) for a new vehicle in the United States exceeded $50,000 for the first time in September, marking a milestone in the ongoing rise of vehicle costs, according to new data from Kelley Blue Book.

The average new-car buyer paid $50,080 last month, up 2.1% from August and 3.6% higher year over year the largest annual gain since spring 2023.

Incentive spending rose modestly to 7.4% of ATP, or about $3,700 per vehicle, the highest level so far in 2025. The average manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP) or sticker price climbed to a record $52,183, up 4.2% year over year.

Kelley Blue Book analysts say the continued strength of the luxury and electric vehicle markets helped push prices into record territory. More than 60 models carried ATPs above $75,000, representing 7.4% of total industry sales. The Cadillac Escalade remained a standout, with 4,320 units sold in September.

Wealthier buyers are driving the market

Erin Keating, executive analyst at Cox Automotive, said the pricing trends reflect an increasingly bifurcated market.

It is important to remember that the new-vehicle market is inflationary, Keating said. Todays auto market is being driven by wealthier households who have access to capital, good loan rates and are propping up the higher end of the market.

Keating noted that tariffs have added cost pressure but attributed most of Septembers price growth to the mix of high-end and electric models. She added that the milestone was only a matter of time, pointing out that Americas best-selling vehicle the Ford F-Series pickup often sells for more than $65,000.

EV sales surged as tax break expired

Electric vehicle (EV) sales hit a new record in the third quarter of 2025, with 437,487 units sold and a market share of 10.5%. Buyers rushed to close deals before federal EV incentives expired at the end of September, pushing sales nearly 30% higher than a year earlier.

The average EV transaction price reached $58,124, up 3.5% from August but essentially flat year over year. Incentive spending for EVs fell slightly to 15.3% of ATP, or about $8,900 per vehicle.

Teslas ATP declined to $54,138 in September, down 6.8% year over year, as the company prepared to introduce lower-priced versions of its Model 3 and Model Y a shift that could bring down overall EV prices in the months ahead.

With record transaction prices, expanding EV adoption, and rising luxury demand, analysts suggest the auto industry may be approaching a tipping point. While the top end of the market remains robust, price-sensitive consumers are increasingly turning to used vehicles or delaying purchases altogether.

Researchers tested two coaching models and found that continued contact helps sustain weight loss

• Ongoing support after weight loss is linked to better long-term maintenance.

• A clinical trial tested two phone-based support schedules: fixed monthly calls (static) versus calls triggered by risk signals (adaptive).

• After nearly two years, both groups held onto about 8% of weight loss, and ~60 % of participants kept off at least 5% of their starting weight.

Losing weight is hard but keeping it off over the long haul can be even harder.

Many people regain what theyve shed once the structure of a diet or formal weight-loss program fades. Researchers have long suspected that sustained support might help cement change.

A new study led by Dr. Kathryn Ross and colleagues explores whether continuing phone check-ins can make a real difference, and whether tailoring the timing of support based on risk is better than a steady monthly schedule.

The study

The trial was conducted in two phases. First, over 16 weeks, adults with obesity entered a weight-loss program. Participants who succeeded in losing at least 5 % of their baseline weight qualified for the next maintenance phase.

That maintenance phase lasted 20 more months, during which participants received telephone-based support from trained coaches. But the twist: participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups:

• Static (monthly) group calls scheduled once per month, regardless of how a person was doing.

• Adaptive (triggered) group calls occurred when an algorithm flagged someone as being at higher risk of regaining weight, based on their self-monitoring data (weight logs, diet logs, hunger ratings, etc.).

All participants continued to track weight, diet, and activity through apps and connected scales. Call content was similar across groups: coaches discussed obstacles, goal setting, and problem solving.

The primary question: from the end of the weight-loss phase (month four) to month 24, would the adaptive schedule lead to less weight regain than the fixed monthly schedule?

The results

By the end of the trial, both groups fared better than some prior benchmarks. On average:

• The adaptive group regained 2.8 pounds from month four to 24.

• The static group regained 3.9 pounds in the same period.

• However, the difference between groups was not statistically significant. (

In terms of sustained weight loss:

• Adaptive participants held onto an average of 8.1 % weight loss from baseline.

• Static participants held onto about 7.9 % weight loss.

• Roughly 60 % of participants in both groups maintained at least 5 % loss.
  

The takeaway? The plan of give extra calls when someone seems to be at risk did not outperform a consistent monthly schedule at least in this trial. But the fact that both approaches produced solid long-term maintenance suggests that continued support itself not just when its delivered plays a vital role.

This study is important because it shows that ongoing support really does help people maintain their weight loss over time. Outcomes in both groups were better than we expected, Dr. Ross said in a news release.

Our findings support the provision of long-term care for obesity, under a chronic disease model, just like we do for other long-term health issues. We hope this research encourages more clinics and health programs to offer ongoing support to help people keep the weight off.

How researchers retrofitted streetlight poles to offer low-cost, equitable electric vehicle charging

• A team from Penn State retrofitted 23 streetlights in Kansas City to serve as EV charging stations using a scalable modeling framework.

• Their approach offered lower installation cost, faster charging, and fewer environmental drawbacks than conventional charging stations.

• The model factors in demand, equity, and technical feasibility to guide communities in deploying these streetlamp chargers.

Electric vehicles are growing in popularity, but one hurdle remains: not everyone has a straightforward way to plug in. Apartment dwellers, city residents, and folks without garages often lack access to home chargers.

To bridge that gap, Penn State researchers proposed an inventive idea: Why not turn streetlights already powered and widespread into EV charging stations?

In a pilot project in Kansas City, they tested this idea, aiming to make EV charging more accessible, affordable, and equitable.

The motivation for this work comes from the fact that many apartment and multi-unit dwelling residents, particularly in urban and downtown areas, lack access to dedicated home EV chargers, since they dont have the privilege of owning a garage, researcher Xianbiao XB Hu, said in a news release.

Fortunately, streetlight poles are already powered and typically owned by municipalities, making them relatively easy to work with. Their placement often near on-street parking and in high-traffic areas makes them well-positioned to serve both local residents and visitors.

The study

To make the concept work, the team designed a three-part framework centered on demand, feasibility, and benefits.

1. Demand modeling: The researchers collected data on land use, nearby points of interest, traffic volumes, and station density. They used this data to train artificial intelligence models to predict where EV drivers would most likely need charging.

2. Equity considerations: They deliberately included socio-economic and community engagement factors to ensure that charging benefits would be distributed fairly across neighborhoods, especially those underserved by existing infrastructure.

3. Technical feasibility and benefits analysis: Working in partnership with Kansas City, utility providers, and the National Renewable Energy Lab, they retrofitted 23 streetlight poles to include EV chargers. Over the course of a year, they monitored usage, installation cost, charging speeds, and environmental impacts.
   

This structured method was intended to be scalable meaning other cities could adopt it with adjustment to local data.

The Results: Cost-Effective, faster, and greener

The findings were encouraging. Because the streetlights were already connected to the electrical grid, retrofitting costs were much lower than building new, stand-alone charging stations.

Charging performance was notably strong: the streetlight chargers offered faster charging speeds, likely because each charger drew directly from less congested municipal lines rather than competing with multiple vehicles on a shared circuit.

Environmentally, the system also delivered: the researchers documented gasoline savings and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, mainly by replacing fossil fuel use in locations where vehicles were already parked. In other words, the charging opportunity overlapped with natural parking behavior, making access efficient.

In summary, the project suggests that streetlight-based EV charging is a promising path forward, especially in dense urban settings. The team plans further enhancements, such as integrating socio-economic data and weather conditions, to improve deployment strategies and ensure that charging infrastructure serves those who need it most.

We found that using streetlights for EV charging offers an innovative and equitable approach to expanding charging infrastructure and promoting sustainable electrification, researcher Yuyan Annie Pan said in the news release.

An expert shares what every shopper should know about preventing package theft

• One in four Americans has had a package stolen, and most thefts happen between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.

• Set up delivery alerts, use cameras, and secure packages in lockboxes or porch bins to deter porch pirates.

• Be mindful of your routine and online activity thieves may notice patterns like unattended deliveries or social media travel posts.

If youre one of the millions of shoppers taking advantage of Prime Big Deal Days, youre not alone and neither are your packages. As orders start stacking up on porches across the country, porch pirates are gearing up for their busiest time of year.

According to new research from ADT, one in four Americans has already fallen victim to package theft, and nearly a third admit they leave deliveries unattended for four hours or more. Most thefts happen right in the middle of the day, between noon and 6 p.m.

To learn how shoppers can protect their deliveries, we spoke with Jimmy Lin, Vice President of Product Management at ADT, who shared his top tips for keeping your doorstep secure this Prime Day and beyond.

"Package theft happens year-round but spikes during the holidays and major sales events like the current Prime Big Deal Days, Lin said. Thieves know to watch for deliveries left unattended at the front door.

Avoiding package theft

With so many sales to take advantage of, you want to make sure all of your packages make it inside your house. Here are Lins top tips for avoiding package theft:

• Bring in your package as soon as possible after arrival. This may seem like a no-brainer but 29% of people leave packages unattended for 4+ hours which greatly increases the chance of theft.

• If youre away from home often, set up delivery alerts which let you know exactly when a package arrives so you can ask a neighbor to grab it for you.

• Use visible and hidden cameras to catch any unwanted action. A doorbell camera lets people know theyre being watched and deters crime while a hidden camera can guarantee youre recording the full scene.

• Additional safety measures can include using lockboxes or porch bins to hold your package securely until you are able to bring it inside.

How your behavior can play a role

Lin explained that certain consumers can be more susceptible to package theft depending on their behaviors. He shared some factors that can increase the risk of package theft:

• If youre regularly away from home during the day, you can be more susceptible to package theft with many incidents happening in broad daylight, especially between noon and early evening.

• Porch pirates can also take note of your routine, and if youre regularly away from home and let packages pile up.

• Leaving packaging from a new TV or computer out on the curb can signal that there may be valuables inside, making your home a target for more than just package theft.

• Posting on social media that youre traveling can unintentionally make your home a target to package theft or even larger scale burglary.

Prepare now for the possibility of porch pirates especially if youre an active shopper this Prime Big Deal Days or plan to be for upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, Lin said. Home security systems are an effective and visible deterrent, whether thats having a doorbell camera, motion detecting lights, or ADT yard sign.