Summer gas prices are cheapest in six years


              FILE - In this Jan. 23, 2015 file photo, Sonu Singh pumps gas for a motorist at a Delta gas station in downtown Newark, N.J., where the cash price for regular unleaded was listed at $1.71. The lowest gas prices in five years had given people more spending money, and hiring was surging. And yet _ to the surprise of analysts _ consumers have held their wallets closely.  (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
FILE - In this Jan. 23, 2015 file photo, Sonu Singh pumps gas for a motorist at a Delta gas station in downtown Newark, N.J., where the cash price for regular unleaded was listed at $1.71. The lowest gas prices in five years had given people more spending money, and hiring was surging. And yet _ to the surprise of analysts _ consumers have held their wallets closely. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Gas prices dropped last week in Chattanooga for the first time since March, according to GasBuddy's survey of 170 gas outlets in Chattanooga released today.

Despite a 3.5 cents-per-gallon increase in average gas prices nationwide, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in Chattanooga fell by 1.1 cents to $2.48 per gallon.

Although gas prices have risen nearly 50 cents a gallon since the low reached last December, gas prices are still nearly 95 cents per gallon below where they were a year ago in Chattanooga.

Nationwide, the average price of a gallon of gas rose to $2.75 last week, or 91 cents per gallon less than a year ago.

"As the summer driving season has begun, gasoline prices have risen slightly as demand rises and parts of the country have seen supply and refinery disruptions," said Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy senior petroleum analyst. "There's light at the end of the tunnel, however. We're expecting over the next two weeks trends will shift and relief will start flowing to pumps as issues fade into the background. Overall, this summer will be the cheapest at the pump across much of the U.S. since 2009 with prices likely remaining well below year ago levels."

DeHaan predicts that gas prices nationwide "will not breach $3 per gallon this summer."

Lowest Gas Prices in Chattanooga
Chattanooga Gas Prices provided by GasBuddy.com

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