Gas prices here in New Orleans and statewide keep slowly plummeting, down about 36 cents a gallon over the past month, and a decline of six cents just this past weekend.
Patrick De Haan, the head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy.com, says that because of decreasing fuel demand now that the summer driving season is past and winter grade production of the fuel, pump prices are expected to continue falling for awhile.
He says, "Thankfully, thus far, the situation in the Middle East is not impacting oil prices primarily because it's not impacting the production or movement of oil, but that's something we're keeping an eye on."
De Haan says pump prices have been falling for the past seven weeks, a trend that he says "may continue over the next several weeks."
He says, "Louisiana is the fourth cheapest state in the nation when it comes to gas prices", with the average price of regular dropping to $2.91 a gallon statewide.
De Haan says some drivers are opting for even lower gas prices by signing up for loyalty cards or memberships at gas stations, retail outlets like Walmart+, and even GasBuddy.com
He says, "There's also credit cards, there's cash discounts, there's loyalty programs, all of which can further reduce what motorists are paying at the pump."
