Gas prices in Southeast Tennessee have dropped, on average, by more than 39 cents per gallon over the past month, returning Chattanooga and Cleveland to some of the cheapest metro areas in America to refuel your vehicle.
The average price of regular gas in Chattanooga dropped by 8.6 cents per gallon in the past week to $2.11 per gallon on Sunday - the lowest price since late August before Hurricane Harvey pushed up gas price, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 170 gas outlets in Chattanooga.
Gas prices average even less in Cleveland, Tenn., where the average price of regular gas fell to below $2.05 per gallon on Sunday - the second lowest metro area in the country for regular gas behind only Monroe, La., GasBuddy.com said.
Chattanooga gas prices average 33 cents per gallon below the U.S. average of 2.44 per gallon and and are 11.5 cents per gallon below a year ago. Among more than 300 metropolitan cities in the United States, Chattanooga ranks as the 8th lowest priced city, GasBuddy.com said.
Gas prices have declined for six consecutive weeks, the longest decline sine the summer of 2016, GasBuddy.com said.
"Perhaps even more wild is that the national average has now remained under $3 per gallon for nearly three years, or 1,087 days as the days of cheap oil have continued," said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. "While recent actions from OPEC may cause oil prices to hold above the key $50 per barrel level, there is no threat of a quick return to the $3 per gallon days. In fact, the national average may continue to decline for a few weeks before leveling off as gasoline inventories continue to heal after Harvey."