According to the weekly report from AAA, gasoline prices in Georgia dropped 3 cents per gallon over the past week.

The cost of a gallon of unleaded regular in the state now averages $3.13 per gallon.

This comes on the heels of a substantial jump the previous week.

“Georgians felt some relief at the pumps this weekend,” said Montrae Waiters, AAA-The Auto Club Group spokeswoman. “The announcement that the BP-Whiting refinery in Indiana will reopen soon had a positive impact on prices at the pump.”

Gasoline prices in Cobb County

The price of a gallon of regular unleaded in Cobb County is $3.121, about one cent 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 has decreased by 1 cent to $3.26 (subject to change overnight). News that the large BP-Whiting refinery in Indiana, which has been offline since early February due to power issues is reopening soon and may have contributed to easing pump price nerves. The refinery processes nearly 440,000 barrels of crude daily, and the shutdown caused gasoline prices throughout the Midwest to rise. 

According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand mostly remained flat at 8.2 million barrels a day last week. Total domestic gasoline stocks declined slightly by 300,000 barrels to 247 million barrels. Flat demand, amid falling supply, has helped to stabilize the national average this week.

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.”