COLUMBUS – For the fourth week in a row, retail gasoline prices went higher in Columbus, even though the national average price of gas in September was the lowest monthly average since February, according to the auto club AAA.
The average retail price of a gallon of regular gasoline in central Ohio Monday morning was $2.43, 6 cents higher than a week ago and 27 cents higher than a month ago, according to a daily survey from the AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and WEX, Inc.
Local prices are bucking the national trend, which saw prices virtually unchanged from a week earlier, cheaper than a month ago, and liable to stay that way.
“Drivers continue to enjoy substantial savings at the pump, but even bigger savings could be in store,” said AAA spokesperson Avery Ash. “Barring any major supply disruptions, the national average could even test the $2 per gallon benchmark before the end of the year for the first time since 2009.”
In addition to continued low oil prices, the end of the summer driving season has reduced gasoline demand and stations in many parts of the country switched over to less expensive winter-blend gasoline on Sept. 16.