Gas prices are two cents lower in Western Pennsylvania this week at $4.283 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.
Clarion County drivers are paying an average of $4.282 a gallon for regular unleaded gasoline. In Venango County, the standard price is $4.279. The average in Jefferson County is $4.286.
This week’s average price in Western Pennsylvania is $4.283 a gallon.
Average price during the week of March 28, 2022: $4.309
Average price during the week of April 5, 2021: $2.993
The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in various areas:
$4.256 Altoona
$4.341 Beaver
$4.299 Bradford
$4.286 Brookville
$4.279 Butler
$4.282 Clarion
$4.293 DuBois
$4.259 Erie
$4.262 Greensburg
$4.281 Indiana
$4.249 Jeannette
$4.251 Kittanning
$4.296 Latrobe
$4.276 Meadville
$4.330 Mercer
$4.260 New Castle
$4.278 New Kensington
$4.279 Oil City
$4.281 Pittsburgh
$4.279 Sharon
$4.300 Uniontown
$4.299 Warren
$4.285 Washington
Trend Analysis:
Today’s national average for a gallon of gas is $4.18, which is six cents less than a week ago, 35 cents more than a month ago, and $1.31 more than a year ago. Gasoline prices have been decreasing across the country as crude oil prices have been on the decline for the past several days.
On March 25th, West Texas Intermediate closed the day at $113.90 per barrel. During the following week, prices fluctuated in the mid to high $100 range until President Joe Biden announced plans to release one million barrels of oil per day for six months (180 million barrels) from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The SPR is a collection of underground salt caverns along the Gulf Coast where millions of gallons of crude oil are stored. Created in 1975 and managed by the U.S. Department of Energy, it is said to be the largest supply of emergency crude oil in the world.
The president’s announcement came as OPEC and its allies announced they would maintain a plan to gradually ramp up production with monthly increases. At the close of Friday’s formal trading session, West Texas Intermediate decreased by $1.01 to settle at $99.27.
Domestically, dipping gasoline demand is defying seasonal trends for a third straight week, possibly due to higher pump prices and consumers altering their driving habits. According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), total domestic gasoline stocks increased by 800,000 barrels to 238.8 million barrels last week while demand decreased from 8.63 million barrels per day to 8.5 million barrels per day. The drop in gas demand, alongside growth in total stocks, also contributed to price decreases. If demand continues to decline as gasoline stocks continue to build, the national average will likely continue to move lower.
Motorists can find current gas prices nationwide, statewide, and countywide at GasPrices.AAA.com.
