LANSING (WWJ) Gas prices are projected to be at their highest ever for Thanksgiving, even as Michigan residents start to see some relief at the pump.
Triple A (AAA) reports the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas statewide is down 23 cents since a week ago. The average price is now $3.81.
That means it costs just under $60 to fill up a 15-gallon tank, an increase of about $6 from November 2021.
“Right now, they’re currently trending lower,” AAA Michigan’s Adrienne Woodland told WWJ. “One of the major factors on the lower pump prices we’re paying is lower crude oil prices, so that’s really pushing gas prices down in Michigan and across the country.”
However, unless the current price drops by close to twenty cents, this year will break records for the most Michigan residents have ever had to pay at the pump on Thanksgiving Day.
The record was set a decade ago: $3.61 on Thanksgiving Day in 2012.
“Higher gas prices don’t seem to be enough to stop people from traveling to see friends and family,” Woodland said in an AAA press release. “We’ve found that when gas prices are high, travelers look to offset the added cost by spending less on a hotel, shopping or dining out.”
Metro Detroit gas prices are fifteen cents lower than the statewide average. The average price per gallon for regular unleaded in the listening area is $3.65 this Monday.
AAA data shows the most expensive gas prices are seen this Monday in Jackson, Grand Rapids, and Benton Harbor at just under $4 per gallon for regular unleaded.
Metro Detroit is seeing the cheapest gas prices in the state.