Gas prices have fallen nationally over the past week.
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AAA Northeast found in its weekly survey released Monday that the average price of a gallon of self-serve, regular gas has dropped to $2.27 in the Ocean State.
Alaska- $2.61/g, down 0.9 cents per gallon from last week’s $2.62/g. AAA’s highest reported average in the state Tuesday was metro Savannah’s $2.16.
That’s 6 cents per gallon lower than the national average and 54 cents lower than the MA price a year ago.
Gasoline prices in MA as of Tuesday ranged from a low of $2.07 to a high of $2.49 for regular unleaded, according to the auto club.
“Prices have actually gone down since Memorial Day, reversing the traditional pattern of higher summertime prices”, said Mary Maguire, AAA spokeswoman, in a statement.
While lower gas prices were great for consumers taking advantage of the Fourth of July holiday weekend, hurricane season is an unknown factor, GasBuddy said.
A quick check of the nation’s gas price climate finds over 20,000 gas stations selling a gallon of gasoline under $2 per gallon, a huge spike versus three weeks ago when sub $2 a gallon gasoline was almost extinct. “This year’s summer driving season is likely to set new records for both gasoline demand and vehicle miles traveled”. Higher demand puts upward pressure on prices, as evidenced this spring when prices increased on 84 of 104 days beginning at the end of February and jumped more than 65 cents during this span. At that time gas was under $2 a gallon.
“I’ve noticed gas prices are 22 cents cheaper here (in Bartlesville) today then when I left Cherryvale this morning”, Housel said.
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Jenkins said it’s unknown yet whether summer prices have peaked. “Should we see a major hurricane enter the Gulf, gas prices may react”, said GasBuddy senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan.
