WASHINGTON — Drivers across the nation are getting some relief at the gas pump as prices continue to drop throughout the region.
For the 13th consecutive week, gas prices dropped 7.6 cents per gallon, bringing the nation’s average to $3.67 per gallon. The data is according to new data released by GasBuddy early Monday morning.
The data was compiled from more than 11 million individual price reports covering over 1500,000 stations nationwide. The national average is down 26.9 cents from a month ago but 52.3 cents higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy. The national average price of diesel has declined 5.5 cents in the last week and stands at $5.01 per gallon.
“We continue to see the national average price of gasoline decline, now for the 13th straight week," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "But, we’re seeing drastically different price behaviors from coast to coast, with some areas seeing noticeable increases while others are seeing decreases."
The average price in the U.S. stands at $3.49 per gallon, down 10 cents from last week and about 16 cents lower than the national average.
The states with the lowest average prices are Texas at $3.10, Arkansas at $3.12, and Mississippi at $3.13. The states with the highest average prices are: California listed at $5.31, Hawaii at $5.23, and Nevada at $4.84.
The average in the D.C. metro region trends a few cents higher at $3.74 a gallon with Maryland and Virginia typically coming in a bit lower. In Temple Hills, Maryland WUSA9 found drivers filling up for $3.49.
"It's a relief but it's not going down fast enough," said Tony Simms, who was paying more than $100 to fill up his tank this summer.
Meanwhile, just a mile and a half down Branch Avenue the price increases once you pass the District line to $3.99 at one Exxon.
The top 10% of stations in the country average $5.18 per gallon, while the bottom 10% average $2.97 per gallon.
“Refinery issues in California are leading to increases in areas supplied by the state’s refineries, including areas of Arizona, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and of course, California," De Haan said. "Gasoline supply remains tight for the East Coast with some modest moves up, while prices continue to edge lower in the Plains, South and areas of the Great Lakes. For now, I believe the drop in prices will overpower the increases, leading to potentially another decline this week, but we’re in a very fragile time and certainly could see a broader move higher in the weeks ahead."
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