Charlotte-area gas prices fall 5 cents over the last week

Gas prices in the Charlotte region continued their decline over the last week thanks to still-low global oil costs. As of early Tuesday, drivers in North Carolina are saving an average of $1.19 on a gallon of unleaded gas compared with this time last year.

The national average price of gas has been falling for 36 days straight, according to auto group AAA, which surveys 120,000 gas stations nationwide to determine average costs. In Charlotte, prices fell an average of 5 cents over the last week.

It’s not unusual for prices at the pump to drop this time of the year as stations switch to the cheaper winter-blend gasoline and as gas demand decreases since Americans are driving less, AAA said in a report Monday.

South Carolina continues to boast the cheapest gas in the U.S., AAA said. Below are the average regional and national prices for a gallon of unleaded gas.

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 7:35 AM with the headline "Charlotte-area gas prices fall 5 cents over the last week."