Central Mass. gas prices drop further despite holiday travel, Middle East tensions
Photo | Timothy Doyle
A gas station on Pleasant Street and Park Avenue in Worcester
While national gasoline prices have begun to creep upward, Greater Worcester drivers who are traveling for the holidays are still enjoying fuel prices significantly lower than this time a year ago.
The average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline on Thursday in Worcester sits at $3.19, lower than the statewide average of $3.23 and lower than this time last year, where the price in Worcester stood at $3.37, according to data released by the Florida-based not-for-profit American Automobile Association.
The average price for unleaded regular gas in Worcester is about 19 cents cheaper than it was on Nov. 28, when the price sat at $3.37.
Worcester’s figure mirrors that of the entirety of Worcester County, where the average gas price also sits at $3.19. This is about 17 cents lower than neighboring Middlesex County, where the average price is currently at $3.35.
While prices have been on the decline for a while, this trend may be coming to an end, according to Mark Schieldrop, senior spokesperson for AAA Northeast. A Dec. 26 survey conducted by the organization found the national average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gas was $3.12, four cents higher than the previous week.
“Last week, the national average price for a gallon of gasoline increased for the first time since September, an indication prices are starting to bump against seasonal lows,” Schieldrop said in a Tuesday statement released by AAA Northeast. “Daily gas prices, both locally and nationwide, could move back and forth for the next month or so. Looking back at pre-pandemic 2019, the national average did not make a firm turn to moving higher daily until Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14.”
The organization says the price of a barrel of oil has held steady around the mid-$70 mark, but ongoing tensions caused by Houthi rebel attacks on shipping corridors in the Red Sea have started to create upward pressure on prices.
The current Worcester average for regular unleaded gas is $1.82 lower than the price of $5.03 on June 12, 2023, which was the highest average price ever recorded by AAA in the city.
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