Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.25, down six cents from last Monday. One year ago, the price was $3.56. The New York State average is $3.57, down four cents from a week ago. A year ago, the NYS average was $3.79. AAA Western and Central New York (AAA WCNY) reports the following averages:

•    Batavia - $3.59 (down 5 cents from last Monday)
•    Buffalo - $3.66 (down 2 cents from last Monday)
•    Elmira - $3.32 (down 4 cents from last Monday)
•    Ithaca - $3.61 (down 4 cents from last Monday)
•    Rochester - $3.65 (down 4 cents from last Monday)
•    Rome - $3.62 (down 2 cents from last Monday)
•    Syracuse - $3.58 (down 3 cents from last Monday)
•    Watertown - $3.55 (down 5 cents from last Monday)

Thanksgiving travelers benefited from lower gas prices. Demand spiked for the holiday with 49.1 million people driving 50 miles or more from home over the Thanksgiving travel period. But oil prices are down to $75 to $80 per barrel this morning, which helped keep pump prices down. Typically, gas prices are lower in the winter months so an increase in prices is not expected anytime soon.

Diesel prices are also dropping. The national average price for diesel is $4.23, down five cents from last Monday, and down from $5.23 a year ago. The New York average for diesel is $4.60, down three cents from a week ago, and lower than $5.87 one year ago. 

To conserve fuel, motorists should map routes, avoid peak traffic times like rush hour, and combine errands into one trip while using cruise control when possible. Drivers should also make sure tire pressure is at the vehicle’s recommended level for the best gas mileage while removing any unnecessary and bulky items from the car since it takes more fuel to accelerate a heavy vehicle. Get more tips here: https://gasprices.aaa.com/news/fuel-saving-tips/. Motorists can benefit from comparing pump prices before filling up with the AAA Mobile App for iPhone, iPad, and Android. 

AAA members receive discounts at gas stations such as Fastrac, Maple Leaf Market and Shell. Learn more here. AAA members can save on gas by joining the Fuel Rewards at Shell program. Join now at AAA.com/Shell. Motorists can also locate gas prices across the country and stay up-to-date on news and fuel-saving tips at http://gasprices.AAA.com.