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Gas price drops below $2

Gas prices in Hendersonville dropped below $2 a gallon this week as the price of crude oil continued to fall and demand plunged.

 The price at Enmark on Asheville Highway was $1.87 and Ingles was at $1.89.

At a national average of $2.12, the price on average is 50 cents less than this time last year, AAA reported. Crude oil dropped to $22 a barrel, the lowest since 2002. Crude oil accounts for nearly 60 percent of the retail pump price.

“Typically gas prices start to trend more expensive at the beginning of spring, especially as motorists get out to enjoy the warmer weather and travel for spring break. That is not the case this year,” AAA spokesperson Jeanette Casselano said. “With Americans urged to stay at home and practice social distancing to slow the spread of coronavirus, we are seeing less traffic on the roadways which will ultimately drive down demand, increase gasoline supply and push pump prices less expensive for the foreseeable future.”

There's no need to rush to the pumps to fill up. Currently, there is ample U.S. gasoline supply and no disruption to distribution at gas stations. Across the country, state averages are less than $3 a gallon except in Hawaii ($3.47) and California ($3.21). Twenty-nine states have gas price averages at $2 or less with Oklahoma, at $1.71, carrying the cheapest in the country.