Aug 7, 2008 2 min read

The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded, self-serve gasoline has dropped 3.9 cents. Western PA motorists will be paying $3.869 at the pump this week. According to the AAA Fuel Gauge, good news for consumers is continuing at the nations gasoline pumps with the nationwide average price of self-serve regular gasoline continuing to fall.

Todays nationwide average price is $3.871 per gallon, down 7 cents per gallon from one week ago and 23.3 cents below the record high price of $4.114 set on July 17, 2008.

Since crude oil prices are trading today below $120 per barrel in the face of continuing negative news about Irans nuclear program and minor disruptions in oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico due to Hurricane Edouard, it is reasonable to assume oil prices could fall even more and

that gasoline prices will follow suit as summer draws to an end.

As energy and other commodity prices have moved lower in the past two weeks, the dollar has begun to strengthen somewhat against the Euro and other currencies. If this trend continues it will help address the role our weak currency has had in driving up oil prices. Consumers should not look for a major change in currency exchange rates, however, since our economy still faces huge structural issues related to home prices, a weak banking system, and high levels of government and consumer debt.

The national elections have been focusing on energy policy in the last two weeks as a campaign topic. While it is true that vehicle maintenance can increase fuel conservation and increased oil drilling in the United States can boost domestic supplies, AAA encourages consumers to remember

that Americas energy and environmental challenges are complex issues and that only wide-ranging, comprehensive plans for addressing these problems have a realistic chance of long-term success.

This weeks average prices: Western PA Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.869

Average price during the week of July 29, 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.908

Average price during the week of August 7, 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.808

The following is a list of the average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:

$ 3.799 Altoona

$ 3.868 Beaver

$ 3.996 Bradford

$ 3.700 Brookville

$ 3.855 Butler

$ 3.896 Clarion

$ 3.813 Du Bois

$ 3.992 Erie

$ 3.886 Greensburg

$ 3.856 Indiana

$ 3.891 Jeanette

$ 3.867 Kittanning

$ 3.898 Latrobe

$ 3.897 Meadville

$ 3.877 Mercer

$ 3.887 New Castle

$ 3.837 New Kensington

$ 3.881 Pittsburgh

$ 3.916 Sharon

$ 3.892 Uniontown

$ 3.899 Warren

$ 3.825 Washington

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 84 local offices in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, New York and Kentucky servicing 2.5 million members.

-AAA