Gasoline prices continue to fall

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in northeast Ohio has fallen 45.6 cents during the past four weeks, to $2.671 at the pump.

The average price during the week of Aug. 7 was $2.700, and the average price during the week of Aug. 18, 2006, was $2.805.

According to the East Central AAA Fuel Gauge report, the nationwide average price of self-serve regular gasoline also continued to move lower, falling 6.4 cents to $2.767 per gallon in the last week.

The price of crude oil is at about $72 a barrel, down from $78 a barrel a week ago.

The report said the only “troubling” activity with the potential to send gasoline prices higher is the formation of two tropical weather systems; one in the Gulf of Mexico and the other in the central Atlantic Ocean.

Here are the average prices per gallon of regular unleaded self-serve gasoline in some area communities last week: Niles, $2.646; Ravenna, $2.624; Ashtabula, $2.681; and Cleveland, $2.668.