Area gas prices dip for a second straight week
A two-week winning streak at the pump!
For the first time this year, gasoline prices dipped in back-to-back weeks across Western Pennsylvania. A gallon of unleaded self-serve averages $3.010 this week, a 2.6-cent decrease, according to AAA East Central. That was only the third drop in 13 weeks.
The latest figure, however, is 78.1 cents higher than it was a year ago at $2.229.
AAA monitors weekly prices in 23 cities and towns, and eight of those locales posted averages below $3 this week. The greater Washington area is among them, at $2.894, a drop of 9.7 cents.
Washington’s figure is the third-lowest in the region, trailing only Sharon ($2.766) and New Castle ($2.770). The city’s average is 42.7 cents higher than it was when the year began.
Uniontown’s price rose a minimal two-tenths of a cent to $3.040, which ranks 11th regionally. Bradford, Oil City and Warren have the region’s priciest petrol, all at $3.099.
The statewide average dropped by 2.9 cents to $2.993, which is 13 cents above the national figure of $2.86. The U.S. price fell by two cents, the first week-over-week decline since November. Prices in 45 states, according to AAA, either decreased or stayed the same this week.
They may continue to dip or remain steady, thanks to increasing inventory levels and lower crude oil prices. Stocks grew by 200,000 barrels per day, according to the Energy Information Administration. A rise in refinery utilization to 82% also may benefit those who are filling up.