Columbus gas prices drop to erase previous increase

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The average gas price in Columbus dropped in the past week to erase a previous jump of nearly an identical amount.

After prices rose by nine cents per gallon the previous week, the cost of a gallon of gasoline dropped by 9.6 cents last week, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 500 stations, making the average price in the Columbus area $3.45.

The current price is 7.6 cents per gallon lower than one month ago and 15.3 cents lower per gallon higher than this time one year ago. In Ohio, the average price of gas also dropped by 13.4 cents per gallon, from $3.50 per gallon to $3.37 per gallon.

The cheapest gas station in the Columbus area was priced at $3.01 a gallon, while the most expensive was $3.69, a difference of 68 cents per gallon.

Nationally, gas prices also experienced a steady drop by 11.4 cents per gallon to reach $3.37, while the price of diesel continues to hit new lows since January 2022, settling at $3.69 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis Patrick De Haan, prices could continue to fade as the summer travel season nears its end.

"Gasoline and diesel prices continue to trail off across much of the country as summer demand fades away," said De Haan. "As more schools begin to resume, gasoline demand will likely continue to ease.”