First Posted: 1/5/2015
LIMA — Many have said gas prices would stay low going into the new year, and the first five days of the year have only confirmed those predictions.
The lowest price at the pump in Lima hit $1.66 on Monday, and prices were down across the state.
“2015 will be a far better year at the pump than what we saw in 2014, and motorists will fare substantially better,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy, in a statement. “Shelling out $96 billion less this year at the gas pump with motorists in most states seeing far more $2 gas than $3 gas.”
Last year at this time, prices were hovering around $3.26 in Lima, and this year, prices in the state are falling faster than they are nationally, according to a release from GasBuddy.com.
The state’s prices have fallen 12.5 cents per gallon in the past week, while the nation’s have fallen 7.7 cents, according to the release.
“As we’ve welcomed in the new year, gas prices have stayed at their bargain basement levels in most states, with just a few seeing minor gas tax increases,” according to DeHaan’s statement.
Prices in Lima averaged $1.77 a gallon on Monday, down 2.4 cents from Sunday, 13.5 cents from last week and 82.6 cents from December, according to GasBuddy.com.
Van Wert County had the lowest average price in the area for the second week in a row, at $1.68 per gallon, with Allen County trailing behind ($1.78). After that, Putnam County rang in at $1.81, Hancock and Auglaize counties at $1.84, and then Hardin County ($1.86) and Mercer County ($1.87).
Ohio prices sat at an average of $1.89 Monday, down 1.4 cents from Sunday, 13.9 cents from last week and 78.7 cents from December, according to GasBuddy.com.
