Gas prices down, but still over state avg.

VW independent/submitted information

While local gasoline prices have fallen a bit this week, the decrease is far less than the statewide average, putting local prices at least 13 cents per gallon higher than average prices around the state.

The low price in Van Wert was $2.71 per gallon at Murphy USA in the Towne Center shopping center. Four stations — the Pak-A-Sak Marathon stations on North Washington and South Shannon, the Lassus Handy Dandy station and One Stop Stations, both on North Washington were at $2.72 per gallon as of Monday morning.

The Shell station on South Washington street was another penny higher, at $2.73 per gallon, while the Marathon station next to the Brookside Convenience Store on West Main Street and the Short Stop Sunoco station on East Main Street were both at $2.79 cents a gallon.

Gasoline prices in Ohio fell 9.1 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.58 per gallon on Sunday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 5,345 stations in Ohio. This compares with the national average, which has fallen 4.7 cents per gallon versus last week to $2.83 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.

Including the change locally during the past week, prices Sunday were 25.8 cents per gallon higher than a year ago and are 22.8 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has dropped 1.6 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 39.6 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

“Much of the country continues to enjoy broad decreases in gas prices as oil prices drop to $69 per barrel. In fact, with the exception of the West Coast where an earlier natural gas pipeline shut down caused prices to up, nearly every state saw prices move lower,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “The Great Lakes has seen prices drop 30-50 cents per gallon at individual stations since the start of October, leading decliners. The fall relief that has been expected for weeks has finally arrived.

“Gasoline economics typically weaken shortly after summer, but we experienced somewhat of a delay due to concern over Iran sanctions and OPEC production, but seemingly the market has become more concerned with other factors, and thus far, the effect on motorists has been lower gas prices,” DeHaan added. “While Great Lakes states may see prices bounce of current lows in the week ahead, much of the rest of the country will likely see additional downward movement.”