Gas Sets a September Record at $4.33 and CPI Inherits It

September 2026 is on track to become the most expensive September for gasoline since AAA began keeping national records, and that number now sits inside the government's own inflation math. The national average stood at $4.47 a gallon in AAA's weekly report on Monday, September 28, and the month-to-date average of $4.33 has already passed the previous September record of $3.83 set in 2023. The Energy Information Administration's weekly survey, which is the print that feeds the consumer price index, put the average at $4.478 for the week of September 21, up $1.305 from a year earlier. When the September CPI report lands on October 14, the motor fuel line is positioned to add a second straight…