The average price of regular gasoline in Massachusetts and New Hampshire continued its downward spiral last week, according to the auto club AAA. In both states, the average price dipped below $3.50 per gallon for the first time since gasoline costs began their fall from $4-per-gallon levels 11 weeks ago — a run interrupted only when Hurricane Ike caused a temporary price spike three weeks ago. Last week was the second consecutive week in which pump prices fell.
Wednesday, Massachusetts motorists paid an average of $3.479 per gallon for unleaded regular gas at self-service pumps, AAA reported. That was about 8 cents lower than the prior Wednesday's average of $3.556 per gallon. But Wednesday's price remained 81 cents higher than the Massachusetts average on the corresponding day of 2007, when the statewide average was $2.671, according to AAA.
In New Hampshire, drivers paid an average of $3.499 per gallon for self-service unleaded gas on Wednesday, auto club figures showed. Wednesday's Granite State price as close to 7 cents below the state average recorded seven days earlier, which was $3.565. On the same day last year, New Hampshire's average of $2.679 was 82 cents lower than Wednesday's average, reported AAA.
Across the United States, Wednesday's average of $3.619 represented nearly a 10-cent drop from the prior Wednesday, when the U.S. national average was $3.715. Still, Wednesday's coast-to-coast average closed 83 cents above AAA's national figure of $2.788 from same day last year.
