WASHINGTON – Gasoline prices across the D.C. metro area could soon drop below the $3 a gallon average.
AAA Mid-Atlantic says for the week that ended Oct. 5, prices averaged $3.33 a gallon in the D.C. metro region, four cents lower than the week before and 41 cents below the $3.74 average a year ago.
AAA spokesman John Townsend says the market is reacting to supply and demand.
“There’s an amazing assortment of pricing out there, and all you have to do if you want to find the cheapest price around is drive a couple of blocks,” Townsend says.
Townsend says prices are averaging $3.15 a gallon in Maryland, and in places like Richmond, Harrisonburg and Winchester, drivers can find gas for less than $3 a gallon.
| Oct. 6, 2013 | Week Ago | Year Ago | |
|---|---|---|---|
| National | $3.35 | $3.41 | $3.81 |
| Washington, D.C. | $3.53 | $3.55 | $3.86 |
| D.C. Metro | $3.33 | $3.37 | $3.74 |
| Crude Oil | $103.84 per barrel | $102. 87 per barrel | $91.71 per barrel |
(Statistics courtesy of AAA Mid-Atlantic)
“Prices are falling for a host of reasons, and one of them is all the uncertainty that is going on in Washington, D.C.,” he says, referencing the current federal government shutdown and the impact it has on the overall economy.
Also, AAA says the timid hurricane season has not disrupted the supply of gasoline, and a drop in nationwide driving because of worry over the economy have led to lower gas prices.
Barring any disruption in supply by the weather, AAA says prices could fall another 25 to 30 cents this year.
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