Want cheaper gas? Here’s the best day to fill up in Wisconsin

(NewsNation) — Nobody likes paying extra at the gas pump, but choosing the right day to fill up can save you money.

Sunday is the most consistently affordable day to buy gas in most states, according to a new GasBuddy analysis of prices over the past year.

On the flip side, filling up midweek — Wednesday through Friday — tends to be more expensive.

“In most states, prices gradually rise through the week before easing into the weekend, creating a reliable window for motorists to save simply by adjusting the timing of their fill-up,” the report said.

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How much can you save by choosing the right day?

Buying gas on the cheapest day versus the most expensive one can save drivers up to 9 cents per gallon, but in some states, the gap between peak and trough can reach 45 cents. That’s because several states — including Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Florida, Texas and parts of the West Coast — follow a pattern known as price cycling.

“These states experience sharper and more predictable weekly swings,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in the report. “If drivers notice a big jump, patience can pay off.”

De Haan recommends waiting several days after a price spike before filling up, with the biggest savings in price-cycling states typically coming five to seven days later.

For a typical driver filling up a 14-gallon tank, a 45-cent swing works out to about $6.30 in savings. A larger 22-gallon tank pushes that to roughly $10 per fill-up.

The average price for a gallon of regular was about $2.92 nationwide as of midday Thursday, according to GasBuddy’s live tracker. Prices ranged from $2.22 in Oklahoma to $4.57 in California, the highest in the lower 48.

Gas prices were down about 30 cents per gallon at the start of February compared to the same point two years ago.

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The cheapest fill-up day varies by state

Just like prices vary from state to state, so do the best days to fill up.

GasBuddy’s analysis found that Sunday was the cheapest day in 41 states, while Monday was the best in Alaska, Delaware, Indiana and Ohio. Saturday also claimed the top spot in several states, including Kansas, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wyoming. Montana was the lone outlier — the only state where Tuesday’s the cheapest to fill up.

There was far less consistency when it came to the worst day to buy gas.

Wednesday was the most common worst day (23 states), followed by Tuesday (17 states). In Alaska, Hawaii and Montana, Saturday ranked last.

GasBuddy identified the best days in each state by analyzing statewide average gas prices over the past year and normalizing them within each week to uncover consistent weekday pricing patterns independent of seasonal trends.

The best and worst days to buy gas in every state (cheapest vs. most expensive):

The full report, which includes more information for saving money at the pump in your state, is available at the GasBuddy website.