Gas prices continue steady decline

ALBANY — With oil prices remaining in a state of meltdown, gas prices continued their downward tumble over the Christmas holiday. Prices had dropped so rapidly that on Wednesday, three of Georgia’s 15 metro areas — Catoosa-Dade-Walker, Dalton and Rome — had average prices at the pump well below $2 a gallon.

The average price in metro Albany Wednesday was at $2.039, according to surveyor AAA-The Auto Club Group. That price was slightly less than 6 cents a gallon below the previous week’s average and was down 15.5 cents a gallon from a year ago.

Prices at the low end of the spectrum in Georgia were found in the Catoosa-Dade-Walker metro area at $1.925 a gallon, followed by Dalton at $1.968 and Rome at $1994. At the upper end, average prices in the Hinesville-Fort Stewart metro area came in at $2.276 on Wednesday.

“Gas prices broadly continue to move lower across much of the country as oil prices continue to melt away,” Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for surveyor GasBuddy, said. “Thirty-one states now are seeing at least one price under $2 per gallon, while the most common price seen across the land has dropped to $1.99 per gallon, with over a quarter of stations in the U.S. under that psychologically important level. Americans are spending $225 million less every day on gasoline than they did some 75 days ago.”

Prices in Georgia fell 4.7 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.11 a gallon, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 5,883 stations in Georgia. This compares with the national average that has fallen 5.9 cents per gallon versus last week to $2.31 a gallon.

Gas prices in the state are 13.1 cents per gallon lower than a year ago and are 27.9 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has dropped 23.1 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 12.2 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.