Gas prices tileChattanooga motorists are starting the new year with the cheapest gas in nearly six years.
The average price of regular gas fell below $2 in Chattanooga over the weekend for the first time since 2009, according to service station price surveys released today.
Surveys of area gas stations by both GasBuddy.com and the American Automobile Association showed the average price of gas in Chattanooga is now $1.98 per gallon for regular gas.
GasBuddy.com showed the cheapest gas in Chattanooga today is at the Sam’s Club on Lee Highway, where regular is priced at $1.82 per gallon.
Average retail gasoline prices in Chattanooga have fallen 6.7 cents per gallon in the past week, compared with a national average that has fallen 7.7 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.19 per gallon. Gas prices in Chattanooga are now nearly $1.12 per gallon less than the same day one year ago and are 46.7 cents per gallon lower than a month ago.
Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy, said the new year “will be a far better year at the pump than what we saw in 2014, and motorists will fare substantially better, shelling out $96 billion less this year at the gas pump with motorists in most states seeing far more $2 gas than $3 gas.”
AAA estimates that Americans saved about $14 billion on gasoline this year compared to 2013, based on monthly prices and consumption. U.S. households in 2014 saved an average of about $115 on gasoline compared to the previous year. The majority of these savings came during the last few months of 2014. Consumers saved an even larger $22 billion on gasoline compared to 2012.
“U.S. drivers ended the year on a high-note with gas prices plummeting over the last few months,” said Avery Ash, AAA spokesman. “Cheaper gas prices have helped to improve the economy by boosting both consumer confidence and disposable income.”
Diesel prices also have dropped in Chattanooga, down 44 cents per gallon in the past month. DeHann predicts diesel prices will fall nationally by another 35 cents to 50 cents per gallon over the next month or so.
| Lowest Gas Prices in Chattanooga |
| Chattanooga Gas Prices provided by GasBuddy.com |
| Tennessee Historical Gas Price Charts Provided by GasBuddy.com |