AAA Texas: Weekend Gas Watch; Falling Demand Sends Gasoline Prices Way Down

HOUSTON--Oct. 2, 20051, 2005--The average price for a gallon of gasoline in Texas fell by almost 14 cents a gallon within the past week as motorists reduced their consumption of gasoline at record levels, according to AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch.

This week it is the cities of Galveston and Texas City that have the highest gas average on the list at $2.792 a gallon -- a weekly drop of eight cents. Fort Worth posted the biggest decrease of nearly 22 cents at $2.662 a gallon. Corpus Christi has the lowest average after a 17 cents weekly decrease.

"Demand for gasoline showed its biggest year-to-year decrease in more than a decade as motorists cut back on their driving after pump prices topped $3 a gallon gasoline in September," said Rose Rougeau, spokesperson for AAA Texas. "As demand for gasoline continues to drop, retail gas prices will follow."

The national average for regular self-serve gasoline is $2.709 a gallon -- that's 6.9 cents lower than last week's average.

AAA Texas' Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline in Texas.

Average Daily Prices as of 12:01 a.m., October 21, 2005:

                            Weekly                Weekly
Area           10/21/05     Change    10/14/05    Change     10/07/05
-------------- --------- ------------ --------- ------------ ---------
National        $2.709    -6.9 cents   $2.837   -10.1 cents   $2.938
State           $2.688   -13.7 cents   $2.825    -8.4 cents   $2.909
Austin-San
 Marcos         $2.684    -8.4 cents   $2.768    -6.8 cents   $2.836
Beaumont        $2.753   -10.1 cents   $2.854    -4.6 cents   $2.900
Corpus Christi  $2.602   -17.1 cents   $2.773   -15.9 cents   $2.932
Dallas          $2.714    -7.7 cents   $2.891    -8.2 cents   $2.983
Ft. Worth       $2.662   -21.8 cents   $2.880   -10.5 cents   $2.985
Galveston/Texas
 City           $2.792    -8.0 cents   $2.872    -3.2 cents   $2.904
Houston         $2.760    -8.6 cents   $2.856    -5.7 cents   $2.913
San Antonio     $2.643   -11.3 cents   $2.756    -4.2 cents   $2.798


Area             Record High    2004 Average
-------------- ---------------- ------------
National        $3.057 (9/5/05)   $2.019
State           $2.964 (9/4/05)   $1.901
Austin-San
 Marcos         $2.918 (9/6/05)   $1.918
Beaumont        $2.930 (9/4/05)   $1.877
Corpus Christi  $2.929 (9/3/05)   $1.874
Dallas          $3.019 (9/4/05)   $1.904
Ft. Worth       $3.012 (9/4/05)   $1.892
Galveston/Texas
 City           $2.997 (9/4/05)   $1.883
Houston         $2.971 (9/6/05)   $1.888
San Antonio     $2.909 (9/4/05)   $1.914