COLUMBUS – With the Labor Day holiday weekend – and summer driving – in their rear-view mirrors, Ohio drivers are enjoying a dramatic drop in prices at the gas pump.
The statewide average price of $2.72 a gallon Tuesday was the result of a 10-cent drop in the retail gasoline price, one of the biggest declines in the nation, according to a daily survey from the auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and WEX, Inc.
Cheaper prices will likely be the trend in coming weeks as gasoline demand is expected to level off, the auto club’s analysts predicted.
“Demand is expected to significantly drop off in the coming weeks which means motorists can expect to see gas prices steadily decline,” said Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson. “AAA expects the national average to hit $2.70 or less this fall.”
Prices are currently at their lowest levels since May, Casselano said.
Many of the states in the Great Lakes region saw big price drops as gasoline inventory levels remained at a healthy level, helping to keep most gas prices down.
The average price in Columbus Tuesday morning was $2.67, 19 cents lower than a week earlier but 13 cents higher than the price on the same day a year ago.