COVINGTON, Ga. — Newton County motorists were paying an average of 4% more for unleaded regular gas today compared to mid-October.
Gas stations in Newton County were averaging $3.25 per gallon today — up 12 cents from almost one month ago when they paid an average of $3.13 per gallon Oct. 18, according to a survey by AAA.
Lowest prices were reported at stations in Covington along Salem Road, where the lowest price at a Valero was $3.07 on Sunday, according to motorists' reports to gasbuddy.com.
However, most stations' lowest prices in the rest of the county were in the $3.16 to $3.19 range, including near the Alcovy Road and Crowell Road exits off I-20, GasBuddy reported.
The national average, meanwhile, fell 2.6 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.40 today. Still, a "significant" number of motorists nationwide were rethinking Thanksgiving plans, according to a GasBuddy survey.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, said, "As of Sunday evening, the national average price of gasoline posted its first weekly decline in months.
"As the price of oil continues to struggle, COVID cases flare up and anxiety over demand starts rising, motorists are likely to see the declines continuing into this week," De Haan said. "While it's not known how long market conditions will continue to push gas prices down, it appears that the fall should last through Thanksgiving, just in time for millions of Americans to prepare to hit the road for the holiday.
"However, the damage may already be done. According to GasBuddy's Thanksgiving Travel Survey, being released tomorrow, a significant portion of Americans say the high gas prices already led them to rethink their plans."
Montrae Waiters, AAA-The Auto Club Group spokeswoman, said Georgians can anticipate prices to remain elevated through the Thanksgiving holiday.
“Georgia statewide pump price averages have managed to remain stable for the past few weeks.” Waiters said. “Crude oil prices are still elevated, which impacts the cost of gas.
The current averages for Metro Atlanta were $3.285 for regular unleaded, $3.619 for mid-grade, $3.950 for premium, and $3.509 for diesel, AAA reported
GasBuddy said the average ws $3.27 per gallon today, according to GasBuddy's daily survey of 2,134 stations in Atlanta.
It now costs motorists $48.75 to fill a 15-gallon tank of gasoline — $11.88 more than what motorists paid in January of 2020 when pump prices hit their peak of $2.46 per gallon, according to AAA.
AAA reported the lowest average prices in the state, $3.12, were found in two locations: Warner Robins in central Georgia, and the Catoosa-Dade-Walker area in the northwest corner of Georgia bordering Tennessee and Alabama.
The highest average price was found in southeast Georgia in Savannah ($3.32) and Hinesville-Fort Stewart ($3.29).
Some historical Nov. 15 gasoline prices in Atlanta in the last decade show prices at $1.97 in 2020, $2.19 in 2016, and $3.34 in 2011.
