BUFFALO, Minn. — Editor's note: The video above first aired June 16, 2022.
While not reason to throw a party - yet - Monday brought news from the gas pump worthy of a small celebration.
Fuel savings app and website GasBuddy says for the first time since March, the national average for a gallon of unleaded fuel has dropped below the $4 mark. The $3.99 average is down more than $1 per gallon since peaking at $5.03 in June, with some areas of California rising near $7.
Things are actually much brighter for Minnesota drivers, as many stations are currently well below the $3.99 mark. In fact, the GasBuddy app shows one station in Buffalo at $3.21 per gallon for unleaded, with four others at $3.23.
Hastings, which has had the cheapest fuel in the metro in recent weeks due to a simmering price war, has three stations selling at $3.31.
“We've never seen anything like 2022 at the pump, highlighted by once-in-a-lifetime events including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which caused myriad imbalances, exacerbated by Russia’s war on Ukraine," said GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan in a released statement. “While the recent drop in gas prices has been most welcomed, the issues that led to skyrocketing prices aren’t completely put to bed, and still could lead prices to eventually climb back up, should something unexpected develop.”
The precipitous rise in fuel prices began in March when Russia's invasion of Ukraine pushed the U.S. average above $4 for the first time since 2008. A combination of tightening global supplies and increased demand for the summer driving season escalated things, leading to the record average high of $5.03.
Before filling up, read up on ways to save at the pump as the difference between the cheapest stations and the most expensive can be eye opening. GasBuddy says stations within blocks of each other can often vary in price by 30 cents per gallon or more.
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