PITTSBURGH — Gas prices in Western Pennsylvania fell by two cents this week to an average of $2.795 per gallon this week, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.
After five weeks of straight gasoline inventory drops, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports a 2.4 million barrel build in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region. The increase brings levels to nearly 56 million barrels, which is just 400,000 fewer than this this time last year.
Four states in the region top this week’s 10 states list with the biggest decreases. Despite a five-cent drop in price on the week, Pennsylvania ($2.77) is selling some of the most expensive gas in the country and region.
The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in Bradford is $2.797; Brookville, $2.805; DuBois, $2.801; and Erie, $2.794.
At $2.55, the national gas price average is just two cents cheaper on the week and the most expensive pump price seen at start of October since 2015, when motorists were paying $2.29 for a gallon of unleaded. This can be attributed to the back-to-back hurricanes that affected the Gulf Coast refineries’ production and national inventory levels. As those refineries play catch-up, AAA projects gas prices will continue to remain higher than normal before dropping in the coming weeks.
