GAS PRICES CONTINUE TO DECLINE AS WE ENTER HOLIDAY WEEKEND

The Independence Day holiday is expected to once again be a major travel holiday, and gas prices in Indiana County have gone down a bit over the last few days, along with the average cost of a gallon of gas across the county, the state and the nation.

Triple A reports that the national gas price average this morning is $4.82 a gallon.  It’s another two-cent decrease over the last 24 hours, an eight-cent drop from last week and continues a trend of small daily decreases in the average cost of gas.  Last month, the average was $4.71 a gallon, and last year at this time, the national average gas price was at $3.12 a gallon.

Experts with Triple-A say that there are two reasons for the gradual decrease in the gas price average: a drop in demand and a drop in the price of crude oil.  Gas demand currently sits at 8.93 million barrels a day, when last year that demand was at 9.11 million barrels a day.  The cost of crude oil also went down $1.98 a barrel to $109.78.

Pennsylvania’s statewide average cost is now $4.90 a gallon, which is also a two-cent drop from yesterday and a six cent drop from last week.  Last month, gas prices were $4.80 a gallon on average in Pennsylvania.  Indiana County’s average is now $4.93 a gallon, tying it with Clearfield County.  The lowest county-wide averages in the region are $4.90 in Cambria and Jefferson Counties.  Westmoreland County has an average at $4.96 a gallon, while Armstrong’s is the highest in the region at $4.99 a gallon.

Gasbuddy.com reports that the highest price in the area is $4.99 a gallon at the BP station in Shelocta.  Most gas stations in Indiana Borough and White Township are at $4.89 a gallon with the exception of the Sunoco station on Oakland Avenue, which has a price of $4.95 a gallon.  Homer City’s gas price is now $4.89 a gallon as well.  In Clymer, the Kwik Fill station reports a price of $4.86 a gallon, while the Sheetz is reporting a $4.95 a gallon price.  In Blairsville, both Sheetz stations are at $4.95 a gallon, while the VP Fuels station reports a price of $4.89 a gallon.