Gas Prices Are Dropping Once Again
By Lavonte Dukes
Outlook Writer
Florida gas prices have stumbled down 6 more cents per gallon. Average gas prices nationally fall between $2.29-$2.60 per gallon throughout the country. Three states have gas prices below $2 per gallon: South Carolina, Mississippi and Alabama. According to American Automobile Association (AAA) website, drivers today are paying the lowest average at the pump since it first decreased in February.
The AAA website also says, drivers can expect the prices to continue to drop as we head into the winter months. The AAA website also states that the national average has fallen 7 cent this past week around Labor Day.
“Seasonal blends of gasoline refineries comply with EPA regulations to produce the cleanest-burning gasoline possible. The summertime blend is more expensive to produce, thus we see gas price increases due to this each spring and declines each fall,” said W.D. Williams, Field manager, AAA.
Due to driving habits during the summertime, people tend to drive a lot more for vacation purposes which builds up a lot of mileage.
Because of the forecast, drivers are saving between $15-25 and the savings could be even bigger as we advance into the fall and winter season.
“Crude oil pricing is the primary driver of gasoline prices and is responsible for about two-thirds of the price of a gallon of gasoline. As a rule of thumb, one can expect the price of gasoline to increase or decrease two and a half cents for every dollar fluctuation in crude oil pricing,” said Williams.
We can expect if the price to produce oil begins to drop, we will continue to see lower gas prices around town this year.
“When it is the summertime people are driving more and are willing to pay more for crude oil as they pump it because they know it is going to sale,” said Florida A & M University Environmental Science professor Elijah Johnson.
When the demand is so high for crude oil they know they’re able to charge more for it so they can make more profit and are able to produce more oil.
As of 2015, the West Texas crude oil price is averaging $49 a barrel and should go up in 2016 to $54 a barrel.
“I don’t go to the gas station more (frequently), but when I am able to go it is only 20 dollars which is drastically cheaper compared to the times when it was higher and I had to pay almost 40 dollars,” said Florida State University Graduate Student, Patria Smithey.
The amount of times drivers today have to go to the gas station has not changed as much but the amount of money they are saving has improved radically.
