Labor Day gas prices to be lowest in years, says AAA

Rodney Guttman, image via University of West Florida.

Traveling for Labor Day weekend? Your gas budget will stretch farther than in recent years, says AAA.

The auto club tracks gas prices, and its methodology shows prices for petrol are tracking lower than 2017 and 2018.

The average price in Florida ($2.37 a gallon) is 43 cents per gallon below Labor Day 2018 ($2.80), and 27 cents less than Labor Day 2017 ($2.64).

“Labor Day travelers continue to benefit from lower oil prices this year as they fill-up for their Labor Day road trip,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA — The Auto Club Group.

“Strong US oil production rates are holding oil prices about 15 percent below last year’s levels, reducing the cost of producing gasoline. Gas prices should remain low heading into the holiday unless something threatens fuel supplies like geopolitical tension or a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Prices likely will go down as the weather cools. Winter-blend gasoline is cheaper than the summer blend.

This is an extremely positive augury and continues a trend of prices lowering already this summer.

Per AAA, prices have gone down 37 of the past 39 consecutive days, for a total discount of 33 cents per gallon.

“Sunday’s state average of $2.37 is 6 cents less than last week, 25 cents less than a month ago, and 36 cents less than this time last year,” the auto club asserts.