At $3.26 a gallon, the average price of gasoline in Asheville this week is 28 cents higher than it was during the Christmas Holiday period last year, according to a new report by the AAA Carolinas. And last year’s average was 42 cents higher than it was in 2009.
However, the price has dropped slightly in Asheville since the Thanksgiving holiday, when it averaged $3.353 a gallon. And the AAA report emphasizes that statewide, the average price of gas has dropped 64 cents a gallon since peaking at $3.87 on May 6, which could be good news for drivers planning trips out of town.
“The drop in gasoline prices, higher air fares and fewer available flights on smaller planes, and the slowly improving economy mean more people will travel to visit family, friends and holiday destinations,” said David E. Parsons, president and CEO of AAA Carolinas, in a written statement.
About 2.4 million North Carolina motorists are expected to drive more than 50 miles from home this holiday season, according to the report. That represents about 92 percent of the total of those planning to travel, with 6 percent choosing to fly and 2 percent traveling by other means, it states.
The average price of gas in North Carolina is the cheapest since early February this year, when it was $3.14 a gallon. Motorists can expect to find the cheapest gas in the state in High Point at $3.14 a gallon and the most expensive gas in Boone at $3.314. For those traveling through South Carolina, the average price per gallon in that state is 20 cents lower than North Carolina’s, according to the report.
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