Gasoline prices may drop further

Cost could decline an additional 10 cents per gallon by winter

By JIM DuPLESSIS

jduplessis@thestate.com

Columbia motorists are likely to pay a few pennies less for a gallon of gasoline in coming months, thanks to lower threats of war and higher supplies, AAA said Wednesday.

Drivers were paying $2.55 for a gallon of gasoline Wednesday in the area, 37 cents less than the average price a month ago and down 66 cents from a year ago, according to AAA.

The price is likely to fall an additional 10 cents or so this winter, unless cold weather sets in early and temperatures remain unusually severe, said Tom Crosby, a spokesman for AAA’s branch in Charlotte.

A severe winter would lead refineries to switch from making gasoline to home heating oil, a more profitable fuel than gasoline.

In the meantime, falling gasoline prices aren’t any more likely to sway U.S. consumers’ driving habits than rising prices, Crosby said. Drivers continued to burn more gas even as prices rose to record levels.

“We seem to have an insatiable appetite for gasoline, no matter what the cost,” he said.

Reach DuPlessis at (803) 771-8305.