AAA: 13 percent of US gas stations charging less than $3-per-gallon

AAA said Thursday that 13 percent of U.S. gas stations are charging drivers less than $3 per gallon to fill up their tanks.

The auto club said that only one state, Missouri, has an average gas price lower than $3, but 34 states have at least one gas station with prices below that level.

“There are fewer frowns on drivers’ faces as they leave gas stations given recent price declines,” AAA spokesman Avery Ash said in a statement. “Abundant supplies, declining demand, falling oil costs and the switch to winter-blend gasoline have helped push gas prices down in every single state.”

{mosads}AAA said the average price of gas on Thursday was $3.27 per gallon, which the organization said was the lowest daily price since Dec. 28, 2012.

The average price of gas in October 2012 was $3.71, following the effects of Hurricane Sandy. AAA said the average price of gas has been lower this year than it was in 2012 for 52 out of the 59 days since Labor Day.

The organization predicted that the average price of gas could drop to $3.10 by the end of the year, with as many as 10 states below that level.

“Expect a nice holiday bonus in the form of much cheaper gas prices,” Ash said. “The national average should get tantalizingly close to $3 per gallon, and many consumers will find bargains below that price before the year is over.”

AAA said the average price of gas for the entire year of 2013 is currently $3.54. The organization said if that figure holds it would represent the cheapest annual average in the U.S. since 2010.