MA Gas Prices Take Spill Just In Time For July 4 Weekend

MASSACHUSETTS — Bet you never thought you would round the corner and let out a little gasp of excitement when you saw $4.59 at the pump.

But that was likely the reaction of many drivers in the last couple of days who saw drops in prices just in time for the Fourth of July holiday after a punishing escalation all through the spring.

According to AAA Northeast, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Massachusetts fell another penny overnight to $4.92. That is eight cents lower than it was a week ago when it was $5.00 and 13 cents off the all-time high of $5.05 on June 12.

And while the statewide drop remains modest — and still about $2 higher than Independence Day weekend in 2021 when it was $2.99 — drops in certain parts of the state have been more substantial where gas prices fell 20 to 30 cents in just the past few days.

The national average is $4.88 as of Tuesday morning.

GasBuddy compiles lists of cheapest gas stations across the state with the BJs on Hutchinson Drive in Danvers coming in at the lowest at $4.45 as reported Monday night. The Gulf station on Church Street in Pembroke was $4.49 Monday night, with the XMart on Worcester Street in Southbridge at $4.53 as of Tuesday morning and the Prime Energy on Main Street in Tewksbury, Wakefield Gas on Water Street in Wakefield and Richdale Gas on Main Street in Middleton all checking in at $4.59.

Worcester County has the lowest gas prices overall at an average of $4.88, but Boston remains stuck at about $5.09 and the Islands — not surprisingly — are the priciest part of the state with Martha's Vineyard checking in at $6.03 and Nantucket charging the highest prices at a $6.13 average, according to AAA.

(Do you know of a gas station in your area with lower prices this holiday weekend? If so, let Patch readers know in the comments section of this story.)

Why are prices starting to fall?

Two reasons are falling crude oil prices because of recession fears, and changing driving habits because of recent high prices.

According to QuoteWizard, Massachusetts drivers are using 340,000 fewer gallons of gas each day than in 2021 with the average driver now using about 215 gallons every six months.

That ranks Massachusetts as the least gas-guzzling state in the entire country.

The global price of a barrel of crude oil fell to $107 this week after sitting at $110 last week.

"Fear is not a good reason to move a market like the one for oil, but it is a powerful motivator,” AAA Spokesman Andrew Gross said. "The cost of oil accounts for nearly $3 for every $4.89 at the gas pump. Consumers should find more relief when fueling up if oil prices drop further."

What's unclear is how much President Joe Biden's push for temporarily eliminating the 18-cent federal gas tax — and pressure on oil companies to pass any price drops on to the consumer — has had on the recent tumble.

The gas tax debate has been going on for months in Massachusetts as well with Gov. Charlie Baker repeatedly calling for a temporarily dropping of the tax against the wishes of State House leaders, who called the gas-tax holiday a "gimmick" that will overwhelmingly benefit the big oil companies.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)