(WWJ) -- Gas prices in Michigan continue to drop as the coronavirus pandemic rages on, according to new numbers released by AAA.
The American Automobile Association says gas prices have dropped 13 cents compared to a week ago, with Michigan drivers paying an average of $1.73 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline. That's the lowest average price seen in Michigan since February, 2016, according to AAA.
The average price has dropped by 65 cents in the last month, and is $1.08 lower than this time a year ago. In metro Detroit specifically, the average price per gallon has dropped by about 15 cents in the last week and is $1.03 lower than this time last year.
The $1.73 average in Michigan is about 30 cents lower than the current national average.
Michigan drivers are paying an average of $26 for a full 15-gallon tank of gas -- which is an average of $18 less than last July.
AAA says the decrease in gas prices in Michigan and across the U.S. reflects the significant drop in oil prices, "in response to the increasing public health, financial and economic impact of COVID-19 and the crude price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia."
New data from the Energy Information Administration reveals that with many Americans staying at home and practicing social distancing, gas demand dropped dramatically — from 9.7 million b/d to 8.8 million b/d — last week, according to AAA.
Adrienne Woodland, a spokesperson for AAA, says that demand for gas is likely to keep dropping in the coming weeks, which will continue to drive gas prices lower.
More information on average gas prices across the country is available at gasprices.AAA.com.
The Michigan cities with the most expensive gas price averages are Marquette ($1.92), Traverse City ($1.83) and Ann Arbor ($1.81). Meanwhile, the cities with the lowest averages are Fling ($1.69), Grand Rapids ($1.69) and Benton Harbor ($1.70).
In order to get the data for national gas price averages, AAA surveys up to 130,000 gas stations nationwide -- and more than 4,200 in Michigan -- based on credit card swipes and direct feeds in cooperation with the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) and Wright Express for unmatched statistical reliability.
