COLUMBUS – Gas prices in central Ohio continued their roller-coast course, falling 16 cents in the last week after jumping higher at the end of October.
According to a daily survey of prices by the AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and WEX, Inc., the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Columbus Monday morning was $2.19, 5 cents higher than the price on Oct. 26 but 36 cents lower than on Oct. 9.
The statewide average price of $2.20 was 11 cents lower than on Nov. 2.
Some parts of the country experienced higher gas prices due to continued refinery maintenance and a recent rise in crude oil costs but the increase was expected to be temporary.
“Gas prices likely will increase during the first half of November, but that trend might not last long,” Avery Ash, AAA spokesperson.
The nationwide average price rose a penny over the past two weeks, to $2.25 a gallon, as crude costs jumped a bit, according to Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg’s biweekly survey of gas stations.
“Crude oil prices didn’t rise dramatically but they rose by a few dollars for some of the past several days and refiners turned that into a few more cents per gallon in the wholesale gasoline market, she said.
Many refineries also conducted seasonal maintenance, temporarily limiting fuel production and leading to a decline in supplies but Ash said much of the maintenance is expected to end over the next few weeks.
“It looks increasingly likely that drivers will find the cheapest gas prices for the upcoming holidays in at least seven years,” he said.
The national average price of gas in October was $2.26 per gallon, which Ash says is the cheapest monthly average since February and the lowest October average since 2006. Prices in Ohio were slightly elevated due to refinery maintenance.