AAA: Average gas prices could fall below $2 by Christmas
The average price of gas in the Charlotte area fell 4 cents over the last week. In both North Carolina and South Carolina, average prices dropped 5 cents over the week as crude oil prices remain relatively low.
Auto group AAA says the national average price of a gallon of unleaded gas could drop below $2 by Christmas, marking the first time that’s happened since 2009. Gas prices have been falling nationwide for 11 days straight.
Average prices should continue to decline because seasonal refinery maintenance is nearing completion and because gasoline demand tends to decline in November, AAA said in a report this week.
South Carolina is still the state with the cheapest gas, though a total of 11 states now boast average prices below $2 a gallon.
Below are the average prices locally and nationally according to AAA, which surveys 120,000 stations across the U.S. to determine average prices.
Charlotte | North Carolina | South Carolina | National | |
Current | $2.09 | $2.09 | $1.90 | $2.15 |
Week ago | $2.13 | $2.14 | $1.95 | $2.21 |
Year ago | $2.76 | $2.81 | $2.63 | $2.89 |
Katherine Peralta: 704-358-5079, @katieperalta
This story was originally published November 17, 2015 at 8:37 AM with the headline "AAA: Average gas prices could fall below $2 by Christmas."