Gas prices are down again across northwestern Pennsylvania, continuing a summer trend that’s bringing some financial relief to local drivers. According to AAA East Central’s latest report, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded in Western Pennsylvania is now $3.359, a drop of five cents from last week.

Local Prices as of Monday:

   •Erie – $3.290

   •Meadville – $3.284

   •Warren – $3.659

   •Oil City – $3.427

   •Bradford – $3.608

   •Brookville – $3.107

While Erie and Meadville are trending below the regional average, Warren remains among the highest-priced areas in the state.

Nationwide, the average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $3.14, down one cent from last week. This puts prices on par with summer 2021 levels, the last time prices were this low during the peak travel season. The key factor behind the decline is crude oil trading under $70 per barrel. As of Wednesday, West Texas Intermediate crude settled at $66.38 per barrel.

The Energy Information Administration also reported that gasoline demand dropped from 9.15 million barrels per day to 8.48 million, while supply rose from 229.5 million to 232.9 million barrels. This growing supply, combined with slightly lower demand, is helping keep fuel prices from climbing.

The cost to charge electric vehicles remained flat this week, with the national average for public charging at 36 cents per kilowatt hour.

Prices in comparison to the past:

   •Current Western PA Average: $3.359

   •One Week Ago: $3.405

   •One Year Ago: $3.758

   •Record High: $5.029 on June 13, 2022

Motorists can check the latest prices by county and region at gasprices.aaa.com.