Fuels

Labor Day Holiday Gas Prices Lower Than Last Year

For the fourth straight week, the nation’s average price of gasoline has dropped, falling 6.2 cents from a week ago to $3.30 per gallon on Aug. 26
Labor Day Travel
Photograph: Shutterstock

Travelers planning a road trip over the Labor Day weekend will be greeted with lower gas prices compared to last year, according to the American Automobile Association AAA.

The national average over Labor Day weekend in 2023 was $3.81. In recent weeks, gas prices have remained steady, hovering around $3.50, said AAA. 

“Despite the popularity of summer road trips, overall gas demand is down as daily driving habits have changed post-pandemic, preventing pump prices from spiking,” it said. 

On Monday, GasBuddy, a consumer fuel-price app provider, reported that for the fourth straight week, the nation’s average price of gas has declined.

For the fourth straight week, the nation’s average price of gasoline has dropped, falling 6.2 cents from a week ago to $3.30 per gallon on Aug. 26, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 12 million individual price reports covering more than 150,000 gas stations across the country.

The national average is down 20.7 cents from a month ago and is 49.2 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, GasBuddy said. The national average price of diesel has fallen 3.2 cents in the last week and stands at $3.67 per gallon—the lowest level since early 2022.

“It seems fitting that, in the run-up to Labor Day, the national average has fallen for four straight weeks to its lowest point since February, giving Americans one last chance to hit the road with gas prices being less of a factor,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at Dallas-based GasBuddy. “GasBuddy is now tracking eight states where average gas prices are already below the $3 per gallon mark, along with nearly 20% of gas stations in the country selling gasoline at $2.99 or lower.

As travelers move into fall, GasBuddy said these numbers will continue to “look better every week.”

For drivers taking road trips in their electric vehicles, AAA also said it now offers information on the cost of Level 2 commercial EV charging and updates that data weekly.

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