ACCORDING  TO  AAA,  NOT  ALL  GAS

PRICE  REPORTS  ARE  THE  SAME

HELENA, Mont., (December 5, 2011) – AAA reports today that the state average of a gallon of regular, unleaded fuel is $3.43, down 14.5 cents from one month ago and down 6.6 cents from one week ago, according to www.fuelgaugereport.AAA.com.

Report Method

“Many reports and websites post self-reported fuel prices, usually skewing the prices downward from where they actually fall,” explains Tara Hanley, AAA Spokesperson. “The fuel gauge website AAA powers, www.fuelgaugereport.AAA.com, is derived from credit card transactions at more than 100,000 stations around the country,” Hanley added.

Prices shown on Monday are based on the last credit card swipe at each station on Sunday. “This method of data collection prevents stations from lowering the price by one or two cents for a short amount of time and reporting that amount as their daily price at the pump,” said Hanley.

Consumer Trends

Although prices for a gallon of regular, unleaded fuel are 49 cents higher than one year ago, Americans are moving forward with holiday travel. The Thanksgiving holiday weekend - defined as Wednesday, November 24 through Sunday, November 27 - saw an increase of travel activity with approximately 42.5 million traveling, 90% of which took to the roadways.

Many factors contribute to the prices at the pump. The cost of crude oil makes up approximately 70% of prices that motorists pay, in addition to distribution costs, supply and demand, and taxes. With the continued unrest in the Middle East and economic instability in parts of Europe, the expense of crude oil will continue to fluctuate and hold gas prices hostage.

Gas Saving Tips

AAA provides many gas-saving tips for cost-conscious motorists:

• Plan ahead. Consolidate trips and errands to cut down on driving time and miles traveled.
• Slow down. The faster a vehicle travels, the more fuel it burns.
• Lighten the load. By hauling unnecessary weight in the cab or trunk, your vehicle is forced to use more gas.
• Keep your eyes open for lower gas prices, but don’t waste gas driving to a distant filling station to save a few cents.
• Fill up early in the week. Prices at the pump increasing late in the week for many reasons, including fuel delivery schedules, increased demand and a weekly report from the Department of Energy that is distributed on Wednesdays.

Resources

AAA offers many resources that can help motorists’ get the most out of their tank:

• AAA produces a Gas Watcher’s Guide brochure with tips on how to conserve fuel, save money and protect the environment.
• AAA’s free TripTik Mobile App helps motorists plan road trips and shows gas station locations and current fuel prices, enabling the traveler to find the lowest prices on their route.
• AAA.com offers exclusive discounts on hotels, restaurants and other attractions, allowing travelers to save money along every trip.

AAA MountainWest is dedicated to providing its over 180,000 members in Alaska, Montana and Wyoming with travel, insurance, financial and auto-related services. A fully tax-paying, not-for-profit corporation, AAA MountainWest, Inc. works for the improvement of motoring and traveling conditions and is a leader for travel, civic and safety issues. AAA can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com. To have up-to-date news and safety information from AAA delivered right to your desktop, sign-up for the new RSS Feed at http://mtw.aaashare.com/index.php#rss.