The transition from summer to fall is expected to bring some relief at the gas pump.
AAA predicts the average gas price nationally will drop to $2.70 this fall, but in Delaware it may fall far below that.
Ken Grant is Public and Government Affairs manager for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
He adds that compared to other states in the region, Delawareans already get an bigger break when they fill up.
Grant says, “Delaware is still enjoying being the lowest gas price in the mid-Atlantic area. If you look at Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland, all of their prices are a little higher thanks to their higher gas tax.”
Grant states factors such as cheaper-to-produce gasoline, relatively stable oil prices, and an anticipated drop in demand post-Labor Day, means consumers will see savings as the leaves turn.
“We’re seeing those prices start to level off and come down in the fall. Of course as we switch over to the winter mix of gasoline, which is cheaper to produce, we should see those prices continue to come down”, said Grant.
However, he notes market volatility in Venezuela and the Middle East - as well as the possibility of late season hurricanes could still play a role in keeping prices higher.
Local drivers haven’t seen much relief yet - with gas prices moving less than 10 cents in either direction over the past month.
Heading into the Labor Day weekend, the average price for a gallon of regular in Delaware sat 11 cents below the national average, at $2.73 a gallon. But that’s still 54 cents more than the price was locally a year ago.
