COLUMBUS, Ohio – After enjoying the largest decline in gas prices in the country, central Ohio drivers watched those prices reverse field, spiking by more than 20 cents this week.
According to the AAA, the 17-cent drop in the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in Ohio between Nov. 4 and Nov. 11 was the largest one-week drop in the country.
The auto club’s daily survey on Friday showed the average price in Columbus was $3.26 a gallon, 20 cents higher than Monday’s price and 12 cents above last Friday’s. That price is 12 cents cheaper than one month ago and 31 cents below the price one year ago.
Weak demand and ample supplies meant prices in five states, including Ohio, dropped at least 10 cents, AAA public relations manager Michael Green said.
Tuesday’s nationwide average of $3.19 a gallon was the lowest since Feb. 22, 2011, Green said. Prices have dropped 41 cents since Sept. 1.
While Green says the AAA expects the national average price at the pump to continue to fall this year, below $3 per gallon in some cities, the national average is unlikely to cross the $3 line. The last time the national average registered less than $3 was Dec. 22, 2010, Green said.