Gas in Bradford is averaging $3.895 a gallon, while the state average is $3.66 per gallon, according to GasBuddy on Monday.
The average in Brookville was $3.462, the lowest in the region. Clarion was at $3.723; DuBois, $3.591; Erie, $3.832; and in Warren, $3.899, according to AAA East Central.
Average gasoline prices in Pennsylvania have fallen 10.4 cents per gallon in the last week, and are 35.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago and stand 12.3 cents per gallon higher than a year ago, GasBuddy reported. The national average price of diesel has fallen 14.1 cents in the last week and stands at $4.77 per gallon.
According to GasBuddy, the cheapest station in Pennsylvania was priced at $2.87 per gallon on Sunday while the most expensive was $4.47 per gallon, a difference of $1.60 per gallon.
The national average price of gasoline has fallen 11.9 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.09 per gallon on Monday. The national average is down 57.1 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 20.0 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy.
“The national average for a gallon of gasoline is down nearly $2 compared to six months ago, and heading into Christmas travel week, is at its lowest in a year and a half, saving Americans some $750 million every day,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “While the decline should take the national average under $3 per gallon in the next week or so, it is soon likely to fade as oil prices have held in the $70 per barrel range.
“But while the declines for gasoline may fade, diesel prices still have considerable ground to cover, and could fall another 50 cents or more in the weeks ahead. Fuel prices across the board have been plunging back into territory more Americans feel is normal, which could certainly boost economic sentiment going forward.”
Gas prices continue their downward trend as the national average slid 12 cents over the last week to $3.14. This is 54 cents less than a month ago and 16 cents less than a year ago. There are now 20 states with averages below $3 per gallon.
According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand decreased slightly from 8.36 to 8.26 million barrels per day last week. This coincides with the arrival of the winter driving season, when fewer people hit the roads due to shorter days and the potential for more treacherous driving conditions, AAA reported. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks rose significantly by 4.5 million barrels to 223.6 million barrels. Increasing supply and lower gasoline demand have helped push pump prices lower.
The cost of oil, gasoline’s main ingredient, has been hovering in the low-to-mid $70s per barrel, $50 less than the peak last spring. At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate decreased by $1.82 to settle at $74.29. Crude prices decreased at the end of last week due to a weaker dollar and ongoing market concerns that a recession next year could push oil demand and prices lower. Additionally, the EIA reported that total domestic commercial crude stocks expanded substantially by 10.2 million barrels to 424.1 million barrels.
