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AAA: Michigan gas prices fall 19 cents from last week

DEARBORN, MI— Gas prices in Michigan are down 19 cents from a week ago. Michigan drivers are now paying an average of $4.44 per gallon for regular unleaded. This price is 65 cents less than this time last month but still $1.16 more than this time last year.

Motorists are paying an average of $66 for a full 15-gallon tank of gasoline; an increase of about $15 from 2021's highest price last November.

According to new data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gas demand increased from 8.06 million b/d to 8.52 million b/d. However, the rate is 800,000 b/d lower than last year and is in line with demand during the middle of July 2020, when COVID-19 measures curbed demand. Additionally, total domestic gasoline stocks increased by 3.5 million bbl to 228.4 million bbl, signaling that low demand led to growth in inventory last week.

At the close of Wednesday’s formal trading session, WTI decreased by $1.96 to settle at $102.26. Crude prices declined last week as the market continued to worry that weakening demand, which was expected to remain robust throughout the summer, could continue to push prices lower. Additionally, EIA reported that total domestic crude stocks decreased by 500,000 bbl to 426.6 million bbl last week, just over 13 million bbl lower than the storage level in mid-July 2021.

"Michigan motorists have seen gas prices decrease 65 cents within the past month," said Adrienne Woodland, spokesperson, AAA-The Auto Club Group. "If gas demand remains low as stocks increase, alongside a continuing reduction in crude prices, drivers will likely see pump prices decline."

Compared to last week, Metro Detroit’s average daily gas price decreased. Metro Detroit’s current average is $4.42 per gallon, about 25 cents less than last week’s average but still $1.14 more than this same time last year.

Click here to view AAA's state and metro gas averages

  • Most expensive gas price averages:  Marquette ($4.80), Traverse City ($4.62), Ann Arbor ($4.55)
  • Least expensive gas price averages: Benton Harbor ($4.34), Grand Rapids ($4.38), Flint ($4.38)
Nicole was born near Detroit but has lived in the U.P. most of her life. She graduated from Marquette Senior High School and attended Michigan State and Northern Michigan Universities, graduating from NMU in 1993 with a degree in English.