PHOENIX — Drivers in State 48 have been paying more for gas in the past couple months than most other areas of the country, with Arizona drivers currently paying an average of $4.19 a gallon.
That’s down 13 cents from last week and 46 cents compared to last month.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Arizona ve una baja en precios de la gasolina
Each of those declines rank third nationally. While Arizona still ranks 7th on the list of most expensive states for gas, those steep prices are finally dropping.
Recently, prices at the pump are getting much cheaper across Arizona. In fact, nearly 50 cents cheaper than last month.
“Gas is getting cheaper at a quicker rate in Arizona than in the rest of the country,” said Julian Paredes, a spokesperson for AAA.
Paredes is also a gas industry analyst.
“There were some refinery issues in California and also the severe weather,” said Paredes. “Like the extreme heat that Arizona had all summer, that really affected refineries.”
He weighed in on the regional and global events influencing the drop in gas prices and what the primary factors are driving the decline in prices.
“Gas usually gets cheaper around the US this time anyway… we made the switch to the winter blend of gasoline which is a little bit cheaper,” he said.
Paredes said there is also less demand for gas after the summer months and less daylight means fewer people are driving.
When asked about global events impacting oil prices, Paredes said the war in Israel could be a factor..
“How gas prices are affected really depends on how long that conflict is going to keep going and how it affects the rest of the region,” he said. “It really has had an impact on the oil market, even though Israel itself doesn’t produce a whole lot of oil, but it’s surrounded by countries that do.”
Paredes said this latest trend is having a positive impact on consumers and businesses.
“The good news is that gas is still getting cheaper across the U.S. and in fact, more so in Arizona right now,” he said.
Looking ahead, Paredes said only time will tell what the prices do from here.
“There’s some things pushing up, some things adding more pressure to the gas market,” he said. “…and some things actually pushing demand down, and making gas cheaper, so it really just depends on how the next few weeks are going to shake out.
To find the lowest prices at gas stations across the Phoenix metro area and in Flagstaff, just head to 12news.com/gasbuddy.