Dropping gas prices fuel economy
Alexis Cox, Washington, fuels up at the BP gas station on Murtland Avenue in Washington, where gas prices were $3.27 Monday afternoon. Alyssa Choiniere/Observer-Reporter
Alexis Cox of Washington fuels up at the BP gas station on Murtland Avenue in Washington, where the price of gas was $3.27 per gallon Monday afternoon.
Drivers were able to put more gas into their tanks with less money out of their pockets after gas prices dropped this weekend.
In response, they drove more and put more money back into the economy.
“The wholesale market has been coming down, and when it does that, it works its way to the street prices,” said Don Bowers, Superior Petroleum manager of petroleum products and transportation.
Gas prices statewide were down about eight cents from a week ago. Monday’s prices were down almost three cents from Sunday. Prices were down 20.6 cents from September’s average.
Washington County’s gas prices are the second-lowest in the Pittsburgh metro area at $3.34, just behind Armstrong County with an average of $3.33, according to gasbuddy.com. Greene County’s gas averaged $3.36 per gallon.
Bowers said supply is going up with the Balkan crude oil supply and natural gas drilling. At the same time, people are beginning to use less fuel as the weather gets cooler. This, combined with a poor world economy, leads to lower gas prices, he said.
“There’s a good chance you’ll see less expensive gas prices coming down the line and a good chance you’ll see more expensive gas prices coming down the line,” he said.
But, he said it is likely Saudi Arabia will drop prices even more, and the trend of cheaper gas will continue.
“As far as it goes right now with the world market, prices will continue to slide,” he said.
He said winter weather will affect gas prices, but the temperatures and amount of snow will dictate how. He said if there is a lot of snow, prices will likely be low. But if it is very cold without much snow, prices may go up because people will use more gas to heat their cars.
“In my business, we want it to continue to come down, because naturally, the more it comes down, the more you’ll get out and drive,” he said.
Gas prices were $3.27 at the Valero and BP gas stations on Murtland Avenue in Washington Monday afternoon, where two Washington residents stopped to fuel up after they took the opportunity to do more driving than usual over the weekend.
“It’s a good thing,” said Dan Lang. “It should drop even more.”
He said he doesn’t drive very much because he lives and works in Washington, but he drove out of the city to visit a friend this weekend.
“It’s tough when you have to put gas in it every couple days,” he said.
“But with everything else going on, what are you going to do?”
Alexis Cox said she was able to put more gas in her tank since the prices were lower. She said she drove past Belle Vernon this weekend, which she usually isn’t able to do on a limited gas budget.
“It was easy for me because gas wasn’t as expensive,” she said.
And she had a little extra money left over to treat herself.
“I actually got my hair done,” she said.