HARRISBURG, Pa. — Those heading out on the road for the holidays will receive the gift they’ve been waiting for all year: lower gas prices.
Holiday prices this year will be $1.83 per gallon lower than they were just six months ago, according to GasBuddy, the leading fuel savings platform saving North American drivers the most money on fuel.
The national average price of gas is forecast to be $2.98 on Christmas Day, likely to drop below the critical $3 per gallon mark on or before Christmas Eve for the first time in nearly 600 days, Gas Buddy said.
Since peaking at over $5 per gallon in June, the national average price of gas in the U.S. has slowly come down from record-breaking levels, falling below its year-ago level on Dec. 9, according to GasBuddy.
Since October, every one of the nation’s 50 states has seen gas prices drop, with diesel starting to follow suit.
Of course, if you're sticking around central Pennsylvania for the holidays, you're not quite as fortunate. While the average price of gas in the Keystone State has gone down, it's still well above the national trend.
The lowest price for gas in the Harrisburg/Lancaster/York area is still above $3 per gallon, according to GasBuddy's price tracker.
By the numbers:
- $1.94 per gallon: decrease in the national average since June peak
- 26: states now with average gas prices below $3 per gallon
- $2.44 per gallon: the average price of the bottom 10% of U.S. gas stations
- $2.99: the current most common gas price in the country
- 25+: cities with average diesel prices now below $3.99 per gallon
“As 2022 draws to a close, we’ve seen gas prices cut nearly in half in some areas compared to this earlier this year—a well needed break from the sky high prices we faced just six months ago," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "Finally, things are starting to feel a bit more normal with gas prices far more affordable. Americans are saving around $25 per fill-up compared to prices this summer.
“While we’re closing out the year on a positive note, challenges remain that could drive prices up again next spring, so motorists might want to keep their expectations in check and enjoy the sub-$3 gasoline while they can.”
