With drivers taking to the roads for the Labor Day weekend, gas prices in the Levittown area have dipped below $4 per gallon, a nearly $1 per gallon drop from earlier this summer.
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According to a review of Levittown-area gas prices on Friday afternoon using AAA and GasBuddy data, prices at gas stations in the area had prices in the $3.80s and $3.90s. Only three stations in the area showed prices at $4 or above heading into the long weekend.
The price in Lower Bucks County is lower than the statewide average of $4.03 gallon, down 13 centers from last week but 74 cents higher than a year ago, according to AAA data.
The national average for a gallon of regular gas was $3.80 as of Friday.
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“Gas prices continue to decline ahead of the Labor Day weekend, which is good news for those celebrating the unofficial end of summer with a road trip,” said Jana Tidwell, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Declines in global oil prices and modest gasoline demand over the past few weeks have pushed prices at the pump significantly lower from all-time record high prices set in mid-June.”
According to data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, gas demand increased slightly last week, but prices have continued falling at a retail and per barrel level.
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Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, said decreasing travel trends post-Labor Day are likely to continue to push down prices.
“It was a dizzying time as gas prices surged ahead of summer, which caused many Americans to re-think their summer travel plans, only for the longest decline in gas prices since the pandemic to start providing meaningful relief,” said De Haan. “As the sun sets on summer, gas prices are in far more familiar territory and could continue to decline well into fall, barring major disruptions from hurricanes and the likes.”
The U.S. Department of Energy provided the following strategies to save fuel:
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• Minimize idling your car by turning off your engine when your vehicle is parked for more than 10 seconds. Idling can use a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour, depending on engine size and air conditioner use, adding up to three cents of wasted fuel a minute. In the winter, most manufacturers recommend driving off gently after about 30 seconds. The engine will warm up faster being driven, which will allow the heat to turn on sooner, decrease your fuel costs, and reduce emissions.
• Drive sensibly and avoid aggressive driving, such as speeding, rapid acceleration, and hard braking. Aggressive driving can lower your highway gas mileage by 15 percent to 30 percent and your city mileage by 10 percent to 40 percent.
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• Avoid driving at high speeds. Above 50 mph, gas mileage drops rapidly. For every 5 mph above 50 mph, it’s like paying an additional $0.22 per gallon of gasoline.
• Reduce drag by placing items inside the car or trunk rather than on roof racks, which can decrease your fuel economy by up to 8 percent in city driving and up to 25 percent at Interstate speeds.
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• Avoid keeping heavy items in your car; an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could increase your gas costs by up to $.03 cents per gallon.
• Combine errands. Several short trips, each one taken from a cold start, can use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.
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• Check into telecommuting, carpooling, public transit and active transportation like bicycling or walking to save on fuel and car maintenance costs. Many urban areas provide carpool lanes that are usually less congested, which means you will get to work and home faster and more refreshed.
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