Columbus gas prices drop below $3 to start second half of the year
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The resolution of a refinery issue in the Great Lakes region has helped area gas prices to drop over the holiday week, according to petroleum experts.
According to GasBuddy’s survey of 500 stations in and around Columbus, the average price at the pump fell by 16.4 cents last week to reach $2.92 per gallon. The current price is 31.5 cents per gallon lower than four weeks ago and 50 cents lower than this time one year ago.
The cheapest gas station in the Columbus area was priced at $2.55 a gallon on Sunday, while the most expensive was $3.19, a difference of 64 cents per gallon. In Ohio, the average price of gas also fell by 14.5 cents from $3.03 per gallon to $2.89 per gallon.
Nationally, gas prices dropped by 3.8 cents per gallon to reach $3.09. The price of diesel followed suit with a decrease of 2.4 cents, settling in at $3.465 per gallon.
Additional refinery improvements throughout the country could mean a growing trend in increased production and falling prices over the summer, according to GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan.
“The national average price of gasoline has continued its gentle descent over the last week, with the most notable declines seen in the Great Lakes region," De Haan said. "I’m optimistic that increased refinery output could pave the way for further price declines. That said, any unexpected outages could still cause short-term price bumps."