Daytona Beach, FL – If you were among the millions of Americans on the road this Thanksgiving, you benefited from the lowest Thanksgiving gasoline prices in 7 years.
That’s the word from AAA as the nationwide average for a gallon of regular unleaded came in at $2.05 on Thanksgiving Day. It’s since fallen to $2.04 as of Sunday.
“Gas prices have been falling at a rate of about a half cent a day,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins. “If that pace continues, the national average will drop below $2 in the next 2 weeks.”
Daytona Beach’s average as of Sunday is just under the nation at $2.03 a gallon. That’s also 4 cents lower than Florida’s average.
The last time gas prices were this low on Turkey Day was in 2008. A gallon of regular unleaded came in at $1.85 that year. That’s also the only year the national average has been under $2 since 2004.
Jenkins says American motorists saved an average of 75 cents per gallon of gas this Thanksgiving holiday and that 36% of gas stations nationwide are selling fuel below $2 a gallon.
However, he also noted that oil prices went up over the past week and could go higher given the recent unrest between Turkey and Russia.
“There is potential for the pump price plunge to slow after oil prices climbed a few bucks last week,” Jenkins added. “The global market’s current oversupply appears to be mitigating any real impact of this event on the global oil market.”
The average price for gasoline has declined 23 consecutive days nationally and 16 in Florida, according to AAA.
Jenkins thinks Christmas Day prices will likely be well below the $2.33 nationwide average last year. It was $2.43 in Florida.
Florida Gas Buddy spokesman Greg Laskoski expects gas prices to keep on falling at least through January.
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.