Special to The Post-Searchlight

Average retail gasoline prices in Georgia have fallen 7.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.12-per-gallon Sunday. This compares with the national average that has fallen 4.3 cents per gallon in the last week to $3.23-per-gallon, according to gasoline price website GeorgiaGasPrices.com.

Including the change in gas prices in Georgia during the past week, prices yesterday were 26.8 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago and are 14.4 cents per gallon lower than a month ago. The national average has decreased 13.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 26.4 cents per gallon higher than this day one year ago.

“Gas prices across much of the nation continue their downward move, bringing the national average for a gallon down to its lowest level since late February,” said GasBuddy.com senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan. “While some motorists are thinking these falling gasoline prices are nice, I’ll unpleasantly remind them that gasoline prices will still set record highs this Christmas across much of America — motorists have never seen average prices this high on Christmas.

“As prices typically reach a low point during early winter, this sets up a troubling start to 2012 in terms of gasoline prices. Summer gasoline prices typically are 80-120 cents per gallon higher than where prices stand around Christmas.”

GasBuddy.com operates more than 250 live gasoline price-tracking websites, including GeorgiaGasPrices.com. GasBuddy.com was named one of Time magazine’s 50 best websites and to PC World’s 100 most useful websites of 2008.