Aug 28, 2008 2 min read

Gas prices dropped 5.6 cents this week in Western PA. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded, self-serve gasoline currently rings in at $3.643 at the pump. Gas prices dropped 5.6 cents this week in Western PA. The average price for a gallon of regular, unleaded, self-serve gasoline currently rings in at $3.643 at the pump.

According to the AAA Fuel Gauge, day by day the nationwide average price of self-serve regular gasoline is continuing to move lower. Todays price of $3.672 marks the 38th consecutive day of declining gasoline expense.

While the energy markets would normally be looking ahead to the seasonal expiration of summer boutique fuel requirements in September – and the somewhat lower refining costs that come with it – the extra-added price relief this would typically bring is being offset by three factors.

The first is Hurricane Gustav, which some weather models show heading for the Texas Gulf coast and the oil infrastructure in that region. The storms winds were clocked at 90 miles per hour this morning, but the

hurricane is still days away from reaching U.S. shores. It is estimated that approximately 20 percent of US oil production is in the possible path of the storm, however.

The second is the continuing tension between Russia, the United States and Europe over Russias entry into Georgia, and the United States agreement with Poland to base its missile defense system in that country. This situation influences energy prices because Russia is a major energy supplier to Europe. Please note that Russia has not

threatened to cut off energy supplies, despite worries being expressed by various commentators.

Thirdly, the recent rally in the dollar which should be of significant help in pushing oil and gasoline prices lower – has not been thoroughly convincing to some investors.

This weeks average prices: Western PA Average . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.643

Average price during the week of August 19, 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $3.699

Average price during the week of August 28, 2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . $2.705

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

$ 3.579 Altoona

$ 3.670 Beaver

$ 3.741 Bradford

$ 3.514 Brookville

$ 3.653 Butler

$ 3.640 Clarion

$ 3.647 Du Bois

$ 3.657 Erie

$ 3.660 Greensburg

$ 3.597 Indiana

$ 3.660 Jeanette

$ 3.627 Kittanning

$ 3.658 Latrobe

$ 3.660 Meadville

$ 3.659 Mercer

$ 3.617 New Castle

$ 3.572 New Kensington

$ 3.672 Pittsburgh

$ 3.699 Sharon

$ 3.641 Uniontown

$ 3.699 Warren

$ 3.633 Washington

AAA East Central is a not-for-profit association with 87 local offices in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, New York and Kentucky servicing 2.5 million members.

-AAA