AAA: Gas Prices Drop Another 8 Cents

With the price of crude oil at or just below the $30 per barrel mark, motorists in Massachusetts this week are seeing an eight cent per gallon drop in prices at the pump, according to AAA Northeast, which has an office in Framingham.

AAA’s Jan. 18 survey of prices in Massachusetts finds self-serve, regular unleaded averaging $1.87 per gallon, eight cents lower than last week.

The Massachusetts price is 2 cents below the national average for regular unleaded of $1.89.

A year ago at this time, the average price in Massachusetts was 28 cents higher at $2.15.

“Last week, crude oil closed at its lowest point in 12 years,” said Mary Maguire, AAA Northeast Director of Public and Legislative Affairs. “Globally, there’s plenty of oil, and not enough demand. These factors are all major contributors to plunging prices at the pump.”

The range in prices in the latest AAA survey for unleaded regular is 49 cents, from a low of $1.70 to a high of $2.19.

AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with 61 offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York, providing more than 2 million local AAA members with travel, insurance, finance, and auto-related services.