Despite a rapid rise in gas prices earlier this year, consumers are seeing more relief at the pump lately.
In May of this year, Wisconsin saw the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel top the $4.11 mark, setting a new state record. AAA-Wisconsin’s Pam Moen says prices have headed down since then, although they have remained much higher than previous years.
During some parts of 2011, Moen says there were days when consumers were paying as much as $1.17 more per gallon than they were on that same date in 2010. However, Moen says the gap has shrunk significantly as we near the end of the year and currently sits at about $0.18.
Moen says the drop is good news for drivers and gives her some hope that prices might actually dip back down below the $3.00 a gallon mark. It’s unclear when that might happen though.
Moen says a number of factors kept the price up, including fluctuations in the price of crude oil, political instability in oil-producing nations, and natural disasters and weather events that slowed supply lines.
The current statewide average is about $3.21 for a gallon of regular unleaded fuel.
AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:05)