Georgia pump prices drop 5 cents, according to AAA

ATLANTA — Georgia gas prices declined at the pump compared to a week ago, according to the auto club AAA.

Georgia motorists are now paying an average price of $2.54 per gallon for regular unleaded. Monday’s state average was 5 cents less than a week ago, 14 cents more than this time last month and 18 cents less than this time last year.

It now costs $38.10 to fill a 15-gallon tank of gasoline, AAA said. That is $4.50 less than what motorists paid in May of 2018, when pump prices hit their peak of $2.84 per gallon.

The most expensive Georgia metro markets were Atlanta at $2.61 per gallon, Gainesville at $2.58 and Athens at $2.58.

The least expensive Georgia metro markets were Catoosa-Dade-Walker at $2.35 per gallon, Augusta-Aiken at $2.40 and Dalton at $2.41.

“Although gas demand rebounded last week, growing gasoline stocks have helped to put downward pressure on pump prices after oil prices surged last week in response to attacks on two Saudi Arabian oil facilities,” said Montrae Waiters, a spokeswoman for AAA. “As it appears now pump prices will likely continue to hold steady moving into this week.”

The national average price for regular unleaded gasoline was $2.65 per gallon, which was one cent less than a week ago, seven cents more than a month ago and 22 cents less than a year ago. Pump prices are continuing to stabilize for the majority of motorists, following the release of new data from the Energy Information Administration, AAA said. In its report for the week ending on Sept. 20, EIA’s data revealed that total domestic gasoline stocks grew by 500,000 barrels to 230.2 million barrels. Imports of gasoline, which surged from 500,000 barrels per day to 800,000 barrels per day last week, helped domestic gas stocks to grow, AAA said.