Gas Prices Falling, Herkimer Has 11th Highest in State

Gas prices in the Utica Rome area are falling slightly after reaching an 18-month high in November.

The average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded in New York is hovering around $3.495 according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Patti Artessa, Regional Director of Public a Government Affairs for AAA says, “Gasoline prices fluctuated over the past few days as fears of an omicron-driven economic slowdown were countered by news of a severe fire at a major oil refinery in Texas.”  According to AAA, "As a result, the recent steady decline in pump prices has slowed, with the national average for a gallon of gas falling two cents on the week to $3.28."

As of this posting GasBuddy lists the cheapest gas in the area in Rome and Westmoreland – both at $3.39 per gallon.  Prices in Utica are approximately $3.49 a gallon.

According to AAA the average price for a gallon of gas in the United States is $3.286 per gallon.

Those same figures show that Herkimer County has among the highest gas prices in New York right now, ranking 11th highest in the state, following the New York Metropolitan Area and counties in the North Country.  With an average cost of $3.558 per gallon, Herkimer joins the following counties with among the highest average prices per gallon in the state:

• Rockland: $3.852
• New York Metropolitan area (New York: $3.852, Queens: $3.555, Bronx: $3.553)
• Westchester: $3.686
• Hamilton: $3.654
• Lawrence: $3.645
• Essex: $3.641
• Putnam: $3.590
• Franklin: $3.574
• Lewis: $3.570
• Clinton: $3.564
• Herkimer: $3.558

Overall New York’s gas prices were higher than the national average which in 2021, peaked in November at around $3.38 per gallon.  A chart from GasBuddy.com shows that, compared with a year ago, the national average price for a gallon in November 202 was just about $2.10 per gallon.

In an effort to curb prices President Joe Biden released oil from reserves to increase the supply while shutdowns related to COVID’s omicron variant have lessened the demand.  Although the market is volatile, prices are expected to continue declining in the first quarter of 2022.