Georgia gasoline prices dropped slightly over the past week.

According to the weekly report from AAA, drivers are now paying an average of $3.37 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline, which is 2 cents lower than a week ago, 15 cents higher than a month ago, and 34 cents lower than the same time last year. Filling up a 15-gallon tank of regular gasoline now costs $50.55, which is $5.00 cheaper than what it was a year ago.

“Georgians felt some relief at the pump this past weekend,” said Montrae Waiters, AAA-The Auto Club Group spokeswoman. “The price of crude oil fell, causing gas prices to follow suit. If this oil price trend continues, drivers may see falling gas prices this week as well.”

Gasoline prices in Cobb County

The price of a gallon of regular unleaded in Cobb County is $3.339, about 3 cents less than the statewide average.

It is always possible to find lower gas prices than the average by comparison shopping or using tools like http://gasbuddy.com.

What are the national trends?

AAA’s weekly report stated the following about national gas and oil trends:

“Since last Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline remained the same, $3.66 (subject to change overnight). 

“According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand decreased from 8.94 to 8.52 million barrels a day. 

“Meanwhile, total domestic gasoline stocks increased slightly by 1.3 million barrels to 223.5 million barrels. 

“Lower demand, alongside growth in stocks, would typically push pump prices down; however, elevated oil prices over the past month have pushed national pump prices higher in some states.”

How does AAA determine gas prices?

According to AAA:

“AAA updates fuel price averages daily at www.GasPrices.AAA.com. 

“Every day up to 130,000 stations are surveyed based on credit card swipes and direct feeds in cooperation with the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) and Wright Express for unmatched statistical reliability. 

“All average retail prices in this report are for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline.”