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July Gas Prices Drop 1.7 Cents, AAA Says

15 July 1997

July Gas Prices Drop 1.7 Cents, AAA Says

    ORLANDO, Fla., July 15 -- The national average price of self-
serve regular unleaded gasoline fell 1.7 cents per gallon this month and is
4.1 cents less than one year ago, according to AAA.
    AAA's monthly Fuel Gauge Report shows the average price of self-serve
regular unleaded is $1.233 per gallon.
    The price of self-serve mid-grade gasoline averages $1.310 per gallon,
down 2 cents from last month and 5.4 cents less than one year ago.  Self-serve
premium fell 1.9 cents from last month to $1.381, down 6.4 cents from last
year.
    Self-serve regular unleaded gasoline is most expensive in the West at
$1.352 per gallon, down .3 cent from last month and 6.7 cents less than last
July.  It is least expensive in the Southeast at $1.15, down 2 cents this
month and 3.9 cents lower than one year ago.
    Other regional prices for self-serve regular unleaded are:  New England,
$1.251 per gallon, 1.6 cents less than last month and 4.9 cents less than a
year ago; Mid-Atlantic, $1.206, down 1.7 cents since last month and 7.6 cents
less than last year; Great Lakes, $1.197, 3.1 cents lower than a month ago and
4.5 cents less than last year, Midwest, $1.219, down 2.5 cents from March and
down 1.1 cents from a year ago; and Southwest, $1.212, 1.9 cents less than
last month and down 4.6 cents from one year ago.
    The national average prices for self serve regular unleaded gasoline the
past six months were: June, $1.25 per gallon; May, $1.242; April, $1.253,
March, $1.271; February, $1.287; January, $1.288.
    The national average prices for self-serve unleaded regular prices for
July in the past five years were:  1996, $1.274 per gallon; 1995, $1.208;
1994, $1.143; 1993, $1.111; and 1992, $1.166.
    AAA's Fuel Gauge Report is based on data from Oil Price Information
Service -- the nation's most comprehensive source of petroleum pricing
information (800-929-4824, ext. 645).
    AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 99 clubs with more than 1,000
offices providing more than 39 million members in the U.S. and Canada with
travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services.

SOURCE  American Automobile Association