Chattanooga gas prices among lowest in the state

Local fuel priced 31 cents per gallon below U.S. average


              FILE - In this May 8, 2015 file photo, gas station attendant Carlos Macar pumps gas in Andover, Mass.  Gasoline is close to breaking below a key psychological barrier as drivers enjoy some of the cheapest pump prices since the recession. The nationwide average price of a gallon of regular Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015 was $2.02, down 58 cents from this time last year, according to auto club AAA. Experts say it could drop below $2 in the coming days. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)
FILE - In this May 8, 2015 file photo, gas station attendant Carlos Macar pumps gas in Andover, Mass. Gasoline is close to breaking below a key psychological barrier as drivers enjoy some of the cheapest pump prices since the recession. The nationwide average price of a gallon of regular Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015 was $2.02, down 58 cents from this time last year, according to auto club AAA. Experts say it could drop below $2 in the coming days. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

Cheapest counties for gas

1. Unicoi, $166.6 per gallon 2. Hamilton, $1.68.5 per gallon 3. Loudon, $1.68.7 per gallon 4. Hawkins, $1.68.9 per gallon 4. Johnson, $1.68.9 per gallon 4. Claiborne, $1.68.9 per gallon Source: GasBuddy.com

East Tennessee counties boast the lowest prices for gasoline in Tennessee, according to the online news service GasBuddy.com.

Six counties in East Tennessee, including Hamilton County, have regular gas priced, on average, below $1.69 per gallon. The average retail price of gasoline in Chattanooga fell 2.3 cents per gallon in the past week and was nearly 31 cents per gallon below the U.S. average of just under $2 a gallon.

GasBuddy.com listed 11 gas stations in Chattanooga Monday selling regular gas at $1.61 per gallon.

Including the change in gas prices in Chattanooga during the past week, prices in Chattanooga are 37.2 cents per gallon lower than the same day one year ago and are 9.9 cents per gallon lower than a month ago.

"As the majority of the United States is still experiencing falling retail gas prices, California and the Great Lakes states are buoying the national average, keeping it from dropping further below $2 per gallon," said Will Speer, a Houston-based senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy. "After a healthy 5.9 million barrel draw in domestic crude stocks, crude futures markets responded with gains in the price of West Texas Intermediate crude."

Speer said refining problems in California this week are expected to continue to inflate the national gas price, although prices could decline in some parts of the country this week.

Nationwide, the average price of gas is just a fraction under $2 a gallon and Tennessee's statewide average gas price is just under $1.76 per gallon.

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

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