As of Monday, Dec. 12, the statewide average for a gallon of gas was $3.36, which is 17 cents lower than the week before. The average is also 17 cents lower than what the statewide average price for a gallon of gas was in December 2021, according to AAA Northeast spokesperson Fran Mayko.
The drop in price is also being seen nationwide, as the US average price of $3.26 on Monday, Dec. 7 was 14 cents lower than the week before, and 7 cents lower than December 2021, Mayko said.
The decline in prices is a result of numerous factors, according to AAA.
"Lower demand, partially because of bad weather nationally, and declining crude oil prices are pushing state averages lower. Last week we also saw a drop in the price of crude, the driving force of prices at the pump," Mayko said.
Crude oil prices are dropping because of worries that global demand could stagnate or decline as 2023 begins, according to Mayko, who also said that crude oil prices settled around $71 a barrel the week of Monday, Dec. 5, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
If the trend continues, states such as Connecticut could see average prices fall below $3 a gallon by early 2023, Mayko said.
AAA released a list of average prices in Connecticut's six metro regions:
- Greater Bridgeport: $3.51;
- New Haven/Meridan: $3.38;
- New London/Norwich: $3.24;
- Lower Fairfield County: $3.47;
- Greater Hartford: $3.29;
- Windham/Middlesex: $3.39.
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