What A Gas! A Little Less Pain At The Pump These Days

It still isn't a total sigh of relief as many of us can remember a time when the price of a gallon of gas was under $2, but the tightness of muscles around the fingers forking over the cash for gas is lessening as prices have fallen nearly 30 cents in the last month.

The reason for the drop, according to GasBuddy.com, is due to the drop in crude oil prices that are $25 less a barrel than the springtime highs. The drop in price is projected to last up to two months. Other factors to the lower prices are due to refineries are finishing up maintenance, which adds to the supply and helps lower prices. Also with domestic oil business booming it has helped add to some cheaper winter blends of gasoline.

In the last week Montana prices have dropped another 6 cents a gallon. Prices were 16 cents lower a gallon compared to last year around this time and 23 cents lower than they were a month ago. The national average has dropped 23 cents lower in the last month.

As of Friday last week, The average cost of gas in Billings for regular unleaded was at $3.41, and in Great Falls the average was sitting at $3.30. Montana's average price has fluctuated in the last year between the highest at $3.63 in July and the lowest at $3.02 in January. The highest recorded average in Montana was in 2008 at $4.20 a gallon for regular unleaded.

Montana has regularly kept below the national average over the last year. Glasgow has been a little closer to the national average compared to the metropolitan areas of the state.

The national average price for regular unleaded gasoline a few weeks ago was $3.29, where Glasgow now sits. The highest peak of the cost of gasoline this year came in late April and early July, when prices were around $3.60 nationwide. According to AAA, the highest savings seen during the downward trend is in Michigan and Indiana, where the price has dropped more than 37 cents a gallon.