COLUMBUS – The price of gasoline is close to breaking through a key psychological barrier across the nation, though Ohioans have been enjoying sub-two-dollar a gallon prices for several weeks as drivers enjoy some of the cheapest pump prices since the recession.
The nationwide average price of a gallon of regular Saturday was $2.02, down 58 cents from this time last year, according to auto club AAA.
According to data compiled by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service, drivers in about half of the states are already paying less than $2, including Ohio where the average price Monday morning was below $2 a gallon for the fifth week in a row.
The state average was $1.91, compared with about $2.43 last year and $2.06 a month ago.
Refinery production outpacing demand combined with increasing gasoline inventories is helping to keep prices low.
The average price in Columbus was $1.94, 3 cents higher than last Monday, but 44 cents cheaper than a year ago.
It’s also shaping up to be a good winter for people who heat their homes with oil or natural gas.
The retail price of heating oil for December through February is expected to average $2.40 a gallon, down 18 percent compared with last year, according to the Energy Department. The price of natural gas for residential customers is expected to average $8.72 per 1,000 cubic feet, down 9 percent.