Local gasoline prices dropping, lower than last year
Gasoline prices locally and nationally continue to fall.
The average price in Uniontown was $3.66 a gallon, which is slightly less than the western Pennsylvania average price of $3.67 but higher that the national average of $3.58 last week.
Prices have been decreasing since exceeding $3.80 in Uniontown and western Pennsylvania and $3.70 nationally in February.
Locally, prices were $3.62 at Dairy Mart, Marathon and Sunoco last week.
A year ago, the local and national average price was more than $3.90. The highest average recorded price was $4.11 in July 2008, according to the AAA.
“That’s over a 30 cent decrease year over year,” said Bevi Powell, a spokeswoman for AAA East Central in Pittsburgh. “This year, there were some refinery issues that caused problems early in the season. We were having a lot of refinery issues, but those seemed to have worked themselves out.”
Oil prices also are a factor.
Last week’s oil cost of $94 a barrel is well below last year’s fist quarter cost of $109.77.
“There’s a significant difference with what the oil prices were last year too,” Powell said.
Prices tend to increase when the summer vacation and travel season arrives and when gas stations begin selling the summer blend of fuel in June.
“With vacation travel, typically they do go up. When we switch to summer blends, prices increase due to tight supply and refinery issues. Summer blends are a little more expensive to manufacture, but it’s too early to predict what prices will do,” Powell said.