Special to The Post-Searchlight

The U.S. average price of gasoline today, $3.26-per-gallon, has declined significantly in recent months but still remains 21.3 cents per gallon higher than the U.S. average price recorded last year at this time, according to the national website www.gasbuddy.com.

“As 2011 has come to a close, that’s cause for concern,” said Gregg Laskoski, Senior Petroleum Analyst for the website. “Why? For the past seven years, the average price movement from the beginning of the year to the peak price posted during the year has been $0.93 cents per gallon, and as high as $1.31 per gallon.”

“Last year was actually a good snapshot of what we’ve seen for the past seven years,” Laskoski said. “The year 2010 ended with the national average at $3.05 and we saw the annual spring 2011 climb push the national average 91 cents higher to its peak level as early as May 11 when it reached $3.96 per gallon.”

The following is Georgia average’s “start price” to peak retail gasoline prices:

 

2007:

Start Price: $2.19/g on 1/1/2007

Peak Price: $3.10/g on 5/22/2007

Difference: 91.7 cents per gallon

 

2008:

Start Price: $2.98/g on 1/1/2008

Peak Price: $4.19/g on 9/14/2008

Difference: 120.4 cents per gallon

 

2009:

Start Price: $1.49/g on 1/1/2009

Peak Price: $2.57/g on 10/27/2009

Difference: 107.4 cents per gallon

 

2010:

Start Price: $2.52/g on 1/1/2010

Peak Price: $2.98/g on 12/29/2010

Difference: 46.7 cents per gallon

 

2011:

Start Price: $2.97/g on 1/1/2011

Peak Price: $3.95/g on 5/12/2011

Difference: 98.0 cents per gallon

 

“In three of the last seven years, the spread between the yearly starting price and the peak exceeded $1 per gallon and only once in the past seven years was the spread below 82 cents per gallon,” said Patrick DeHaan, another petroleum analyst with GasBuddy. “And, while we typically anticipate ‘peak’ prices to occur in the midst of the summer driving season, sometimes the peak can even come after summer has concluded, as was the case nationally during 2006 and 2009.

“While past performance is no indication of future prices, if the national average doesn’t move closer toward or under $3 per gallon by the year’s end, we could be paying over $4 per gallon next spring.”

GasBuddy.com is operated by GasBuddy Organization Inc. GasBuddy.com is a group of local websites which offers an online method for website visitors to post and view the most up-to-date retail gasoline price information.