Gas prices continue falling

People gassing up were smiling Monday as the price for a gallon of gasoline fell to lowest price since May.

The average price for a gallon of gas in the Woodbridge area was $3.31 a gallon, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic. The average price was higher in the Manassas area at $3.50 a gallon.

Helping to bring fuel costs down was the falling price of crude oil, which closed Friday below $100 per barrel, AAA said in a statement.

Demand for fuel also remains low as Americans drove an estimated 9.6 million fewer miles in July than they did a year ago, according to data released by the Federal Highway Administration.

Couple that with fewer trucks on the road and demand for gas is at its lowest since 2003, the data said.

Drivers can rejoice because this is a trend that is expected to continue, said Martha Meade, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson.

“AAA expects the national average price of gas will drop significantly this fall, with a possible return to $3 per gallon,” said Meade.

At a WaWa gas station in the Lake Ridge area on Monday motorists were paying $3.27 a gallon for regular gas.

Pam Humphrey, of Fort Belvoir, said it’s worth driving to the Woodbridge area to fill up.

“It’s only like a 15-minute ride to come down here,” said Humphrey. “I hope [the price] keeps going down.”

She said gas averages around $3.60 a gallon in her neighborhood.

Others were not only filling up their cars, but spare gas cans, too.

“The price of gas should continue to fall because the price of oil came down,” said Bob Dolan, of Lake Ridge, as he filled two gas cans he said he’ll use to fill his lawnmower.

Dolan said the lower cost had no effect on how much gas he buys, but it does make it easier when filling up.

Gas supply problems continue to plague areas of the southeastern U.S., especially in South Carolina and Georgia.

Those states have been hit hard by a lack of supply from Texas oil refineries, causing gas prices there to skyrocket in areas which normally have the cheapest prices in the country, Meade said.

She added the price of a gallon of gas would be even cheaper if it weren’t for the supply problem.

One year ago the average price per gallon of fuel in the Prince William area was $2.57.

Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at (703) 878-8065.