AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin-area gas prices continued their downward momentum this week as demand fell across the state, according to the latest data from AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch.
The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded across the Austin-San Marcos metro area is $3.85 this week, down five cents from last week and $1.29 higher than this time last year.
Across the state, drivers are also paying an average of $3.85, which is down four cents from last week and $1.24 higher than last year. The nationwide average is down two cents to $4.22, which is $1.35 higher than a year ago.
Of the major metropolitan areas surveyed in Texas, drivers in El Paso are paying the most on average at $3.99 per gallon while drivers in Amarillo are paying the least at $3.56 per gallon.
Pump price averages decreased all around the Lone Star State as demand dropped, and crude prices were on a roller coaster, though the declines are likely to continue as the U.S. dips into its Strategic Petroleum Reserve in an effort to combat high gas prices.
"Oil and gas prices have been subject to daily headlines – sending prices on a roller coaster," said AAA Texas spokesperson Daniel Armbruster. "The latest trend has been in a downward direction for a number of reasons, including falling demand from the prior week."
