Stays Below National Average
By Hank Russell
Gas prices fell by only a penny last week, according to a survey from the Automobile Association of America’s (AAA) Northeast region. In addition, they stayed below the national average.
According to AAA Northeast’s April 21 survey, a gallon of gas was $3.09 last week, down from $3.10 the previous week. The price last month was also at $3.10 a gallon. That is way down from one year ago, when it was $3.68.
However, last week’s price was the highest in the region, followed by Connecticut ($3.04), New Jersey ($2.96), Massachusetts ($2.95) and Rhode Island ($2.94). But New York’s gas prices were lower than the average prices of the U.S.
The national average last week was $3.15 a gallon, down from $3.18 the week before, based on AAA Northeast data. However, gas prices last month were three cents lower at $3.12, but they were 52 cents less than it was one year earlier, when the price was $3.67 — just one cent less than New York’s.
Americans consumed just 8.46 million barrels of gasoline a day last week, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). That’s a slight uptick of 37,000 barrels a day over the prior week, but still trailing 2024’s pace by roughly 200,000 barrels a day.
“As demand has continued to stay soft, refiners have dialed back gasoline production to keep a floor beneath pump prices, which are the lowest for this time of year since 2021,” said Jillian Young, director of public relations for AAA Northeast. “Across the country, drivers are spending between 50 and 60 cents less per gallon than this time last year.”