COLUMBUS – While gas prices nationwide have eased off since the Labor Day holiday weekend, prices at pumps in central Ohio have headed the opposite direction, increasing for the third straight week.
The average price for a gallon of regular in Columbus Monday morning was $2.82, 5 cents higher than the week before, according to a daily survey from the auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and WEX, Inc., but 4 cents lower than on Labor Day and 3 cents lower than the national average.
The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline has dropped a penny per gallon over the past two weeks, according to industry analyst Trilby Lundberg’s weekly survey, and she says the price might drop again shortly.
“This decline of one penny may be followed in the new few days by another two- to four-cent decline, in part because refiners as of last week no longer have to make summer-grade gasoline, which costs more to make,” Lundberg said.
Motorists in 32 states welcomed cheaper or stable gas prices at the start of the workweek, but not the Great Lakes and Central region where prices are increasing due to maintenance at a handful of refineries.
Drivers in Ohio are paying 53 cents more per gallon to fill up than one year ago.