As Colorado Springs motorists say goodbye to 2012, they’re seeing the lowest prices of the year at the pump.
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline Monday in Colorado Springs was $2.904, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. That’s down from $3.312 a month ago and $3.003 a year ago.
It’s also well below the national average of $3.292. The statewide average is $3.009.
Colorado Springs has the fourth-lowest gas prices among U.S. cities surveyed by GasBuddy.com, which tracks prices across the United States and Canada. Colorado has the cheapest prices among the states, according to GasBuddy.com.
Enjoy it while you can, says Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.com.
“This may be as good as it gets,” DeHaan said. Oil prices have rebounded and gas prices nationally are starting to edge up, he noted.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if Colorado Springs saw prices moving higher in the next week or two,” DeHaan said.
Over the next few months, DeHaan expects gas prices to gradually climb; one thing that could prove to be a cap on gas prices, though, is the economy. If the U.S. economy falls over the “fiscal cliff” and stays there, that could keep gas prices lower, he said.
“Gas prices will follow the economy,” DeHaan said.
Prices at the pump in Colorado Springs began 2012 by dipping below $3 a gallon. The average hit a low of $2.93 a gallon in early February, then peaked at $3.87 a gallon in late April.
The Springs record is $3.983, reached on July 17, 2008.
To track the lowest prices in town, go to www.gazette.com/gaswatch.