Gas prices could dip below $3 per gallon next month: Analyst forecast

Gas prices are down seven cents a gallon from last week, and it’s looking like most of the country will be under $3 per gallon early next month.

“GasBuddy now counts 11 states and over 45,000 stations with gas prices below $3 per gallon,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “We fully expect gas prices will continue to drop as Americans drive less with the onset of fall.”

The average price nationwide is $3.22 a gallon, and in Virginia, the average is $3.12 a gallon, with diesel at $3.62 per gallon, its lowest level since 2022.

“With oil prices falling below $70 per barrel, their lowest since 2021, there’s solid room for gas prices and diesel to continue falling for some time. We expect the national average could fall below $3 per gallon as early as October for the first time since 2021, which would be music to the ears of motorists and certainly to politicians who are angling to be elected this fall,” De Haan said.