Phoenix, Ariz., Sept. 4, 2009. Arizona motorists leaving town to celebrate the final three day weekend of the summer will spend less to fill their tanks, as the price of fuel falls for the second straight week. Statewide, motorists are currently paying an average of $2.618 for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline, a drop of 1.6 cents from last week. Today’s nationwide average is $2.591 per gallon, a drop of two cents from last week.

Arizona motorists are paying $1.01 less per gallon heading into the holiday weekend, compared to last year’s pre-holiday fuel price of $3.626 per gallon. To illustrate how current fuel prices compare to previous holiday weekends, below is a list of statewide fuel averages from 2005 to 2009 for the week leading up to the Labor Day holiday:

“Arizonans filling their tanks prior to leaving town today will spend about 28 percent less on fuel than they did last year, when gas prices were well above $3 per gallon across the state,” said Linda Gorman, public affairs director for AAA Arizona. “This is a situation that more than 550,000 Arizona motorists will take advantage of this holiday weekend.”

AAA Arizona understands that travelers are still looking to maximize their travel budgets. As a result, the auto club would like to offer the following fuel-saving tips to holiday travelers:

• Keep your eyes open for low fuel prices, but do not waste gas driving to a distant station to save a few cents.  For the cheapest gas in your neighborhood, utilize AAA’s Fuel Price Finder at www.aaa.com/fuelfinder.
  
  
• Budget your fuel costs in advance, using your vehicle’s make, model and year through AAA’s Fuel Cost Calculator at www.fuelcostcalculator.com. 
  
  
• Plan your route in advance and avoid congested roadways. Use AAA ’s TripTik© Travel Planner at www.aaa.com/triptik to find the cheapest fuel stations along your travel route. Motorists can also use this tool’s historic holiday traffic and congestion information to avoid routes that are prone to holiday congestion.
  
  
• Travel light! Less weight means better fuel economy. A heavier vehicle uses more gasoline.
  
  
• Follow the speed limit. Driving any faster may get you where you want to go in less time, but it also means more trips to the gas pump. Driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph will lower your fuel economy by approximately 10 percent.
  
  

In Arizona, Tucson drivers continue to pay the least for fuel in the state with an average of $2.431 per gallon, while Flagstaff motorists continue to pay the most to fill their tanks with an average fuel price of $2.765 per gallon. Nationwide, Missouri motorists continue to pay the nation’s lowest fuel price with an average of $2.338 per gallon, while California motorists continue to pay the most for fuel in the lower 48 states with an average of $3.058 per gallon.

*The BTU-adjusted price of E-85 is the nationwide average price of E-85 adjusted to reflect the lower energy content as expressed in British Thermal Units - and hence miles per gallon - available in a gallon of E-85 as compared to the same volume of conventional gasoline. The BTU-adjusted price calculated by OPIS and AAA is not an actual retail average price paid by consumers. It is calculated and displayed as part of AAA's Fuel Gauge Report because according to the Energy Information Administration E-85 delivers approximately 25 percent fewer BTUs by volume than conventional gasoline. Because "flexible fuel" vehicles can operate on conventional fuel and E-85, the BTU-adjusted price of E-85 is essential to understanding the cost implications of each fuel choice for consumers.

AAA Arizona’s Weekly Fuel Gauge includes data from gasoline stations in every Arizona community. However, only major metropolitan areas are shown in the table above.  Local prices in some communities might be higher or lower than the averages shown here.

NOTE: AAA Fuel Gauge data may be used on a daily basis by news media Web sites, but should include attribution to AAA.