Apr 23, 2019 1 min read

Finally, a little relief at Western Pennsylvania gas pumps. Very little.

The average cost of a gallon of unleaded self-serve dipped to $3.036 this week, six-tenths of a cent cheaper than $3.042 the previous week, AAA East Central announced Monday afternoon. That latest figure is 6.3 cents higher than it was a year ago.

Washington experienced a similar weekly decline, eight-tenths of a cent from $3.014 to $3.006. But that is still a welcome break, following three months of increases that have besieged stations throughout the western half of the state. Washington’s average has increased 54.5 cents from $2.461 on Jan. 8.

The city’s average is the ninth-lowest among 22 Western Pennsylvania cities and towns monitored by AAA. New Castle ($2.903) has the cheapest fuel, Altoona ($2.939) the second-lowest. Brookville ($3.166) has the most expensive petrol. Only seven towns posted averages under $3.00.

Pennsylvania’s average rose by a penny to $2.98. The Keystone State is part of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region, where gasoline stocks fell by 1 million barrels this week, the Energy Information Administration reported. That level was low at 59.2 million barrels, but imports were expected to replenish the supply.

The national average edged up by a penny – the smallest weekly increase since mid-February – to $2.84.