Gas Prices Down In RI Ahead Of Labor Day Weekend

RHODE ISLAND — This Labor Day weekend will be a little cheaper than the last major holiday weekend of the summer around July 4 — but it'll still be more expensive than Labor Day in 2021.

The average price of a gallon of gas in Rhode Island dropped to about $3.95 this week, according to AAA. That's down from $4.08 a week ago, and $4.43 at the end of July.

Try not to think about it, but gas cost about $3.06 per gallon this same time last year.

Except Connecticut (average price: $3.88), every New England state was hovering in the $4 range for gas this week, which may make you think twice about holiday travel to popular end-of-summer destinations like the White Mountains, Maine coast and Cape Cod.

In Rhode Island, the cheapest gas was available in Bristol County, where the average price of a gallon was about $3.89. Kent and Providence counties were the next cheapest.

According to AAA, gas prices have fallen for a few reasons: lower demand due to the record prices earlier this summer, and switching to cheaper winter gas blends.

But don't expect a return to 2021 gas prices just yet.

“Historically, demand begins to decline in the fall as schools reopen and summer road trips end,” AAA Northeast spokesperson Fran Mayko said in a news release. “This in turn leads to lower gas prices. Despite the trend, however, gas price averages will remain above $3 a gallon in all states, especially as crude remains elevated.”