---

Gas Price Takes Biggest Plunge In 7 Years, AAA Says

20 January 1998

Gas Price Takes Biggest Plunge In 7 Years, AAA Says

    ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 20 -- The national average gasoline price
fell 5.7 cents per gallon since Dec. 9 -- the biggest drop between monthly
surveys since 1991, according to AAA.
    The price of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline is $1.159, 12.9 cents
less than one year ago, according to AAA's monthly Fuel Gauge Survey.
    The average price of self-serve mid-grade unleaded is $1.241 per gallon,
6.3 cents less than last month and 13 cents less than one year ago.  Self-
serve premium is $1.307, down 5.1 cents from a month ago and 13.2 cents less
than last year.
    Self-serve regular unleaded is most expensive in the West at $1.314 per
gallon, down 4.7 cents from last month and 3.4 cents less than a year ago.  It
is least expensive in the Great Lakes region at $1.074, 7.5 cents less than a
month ago and 20.5 cents less than last year.
    Other regional prices for self-serve are:  New England, $1.206 per gallon,
down 6.2 cents in one month and 13.9 cents less than last year; Mid-Atlantic,
$1.156, down 4.6 cents this month and down 16.5 cents from a year ago;
Southeast, $1.078, down 4.8 cents from last month and 14 cents less than last
year; Midwest, $1.085,  7.6 cents less than last month and down 18.5 cents
from a year ago; and Southwest, $1.144, down 4.9 cents in one month and 9.3
cents less than last year.
    The national average prices for self-serve regular unleaded gasoline for
the last six months were:  December, $ 1.216 per gallon; November, $1.234,
October, $1.264; September, $1.288; August, $1.264; and July, $1.233.
    The national average prices for self-serve regular unleaded gasoline in
January for the last five years were: 1997, $1.288 per gallon; 1996, $1.139;
1995, $1.13; 1994, $1.06; 1993, $1.103; and 1992, $1.068.
    AAA is a not-for-profit federation of 97 clubs with more than 1,000
offices providing 40 million members in the U.S. and Canada with travel,
insurance, financial and auto-related services.

SOURCE  AAA