Lower prices persist at South Sound gas pumps

All that cheap fuel economists kept mentioning in their reports the past week can be seen in this area, too. Average retail gas prices in Tacoma dropped 6.4 cents in one week, and averaged $2.15 Monday afternoon, according to GasBuddy and Tacomagasprices.com.

Tacoma’s Costco at 37th and Steele streets and two Arco stations (one at Center Street and Union Avenue, the other at Orchard and 56th streets) led the low-price list for the city Monday at $1.81 a gallon, according to Tacomagasprices.com. In Olympia, Washingtongasprices.com listed the 76 station at Martin Way East and Kingham Street Northeast and the APP station on Fones Road as the cheapest at $1.84 and $1.86, respectively.

In February 2012, average gas prices in Tacoma were $3.56 a gallon.

“February looks to start the month with gasoline prices averaging under $1.80 a gallon nationally, the lowest level since January 16, 2009,” said Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy.com senior petroleum analyst in a news release. However, DeHaan added: “Don’t be caught by surprise if in a few weeks they revert and move higher. Refiners have already begun some winter maintenance, and while supply of winter gasoline is abnormally high, once that inventory is liquidated, I fully expect gasoline prices to march higher.”

This story was originally published February 1, 2016 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Lower prices persist at South Sound gas pumps."