CHARLESTON, W.Va. — If you haven’t been to the gas station in the past few days, you’re in for a surprise.
“We’re down almost 13 cents as of a week ago. We’ve made a really nice down trend,” said AAA Charleston district manager Crissy Gray.
In fact, most of the nation is seeing lower gas prices.
“The current gas average nationwide is $3.07 a gallon. In West Virginia we’re coming in at $3.16 a gallon which is lower than what we have seen,” said Gray.
It has been four years since gas in West Virginia dipped below the $3 mark on a consistent basis. Back in December 2011, the average was $2.78. Since then it’s bounced around between $3 and $4.
According to the experts, the reason why we’re seeing lower prices is that the U.S. is producing more of its own gas, with the domestic supplies up 50 percent in the last five years. The nation is relying less and less on oil from the middle east.
Gray said with cheaper prices we could see more people hitting the road in the next couple of months.
“I think it’s encouraging just for people with holiday travel coming up. It just puts the light at the end of the tunnel. (Gas) is one strain they’re not going to have to work with,” Gray said.
In Charleston on Friday, gas hit $2.99 a gallon. According to gasbuddy.com the cheapest place to fill up is in Clarksburg at $2.94. The most expensive gas is in the eastern panhandle at $3.39.
Gray said more and more drivers are shopping around when it comes time to fill their tanks.
“People are price comparing and using tools to get cheaper gas like Kroger points as well as different credit cards like the one at Shell stations. I’m seeing people really look for different ways to get the most for their value,” Gray said.