Monday, September 18, 2023–9:57 a.m.
-David Crowder, WRGA News-
While the national average for gasoline rose during the past week, Georgia drivers saw prices fall at the pump, thanks in most part to a suspension of the state’s gas tax.
Georgia drivers are now paying an average price of $3.39 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline which is 17 cents less than a week ago, 24 cents less than a month ago, but still 21 cents more than this time last year.
It now costs an average of $50.85 to fill a 15-gallon tank of regular gasoline. Georgians are paying almost $4.00 less to fill up at the pump compared to a month ago.
Local averages on Monday were $3.30 in Floyd County and Chattooga County, $3.34 in Gordon County, $3.35 in Bartow County, and $3.38 in Polk County.
“Crude oil prices continue to increase, but the rise is tempered by much lower demand,” said Montrae Waiters, AAA-The Auto Club Group spokeswoman. “The slide in drivers fueling up is typical, with schools back in session, the days are getting shorter as we look ahead to fall, in addition to, Governor Brian Kemp’s suspension of the state gas tax through October 12th continues to be the driving forces pushing pump prices lower.”
The National Gas Price Average May Slowly Dip as Fall Approaches
Since last Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has risen to $3.87. The primary culprit is the surge in oil costs, which have jumped several dollars to hover around $90 per barrel. According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand decreased significantly from 9.32 to 8.31 million barrels a day last week. Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks jumped from 214.7 to 220.3 million barrels. Although gas demand has dropped amid increasing stocks, elevated oil prices have pushed pump prices higher.