Gas prices dip but remain more than $1 higher than this time last year

Gas prices across the U.S. have dipped in recent weeks but remain more than $1 higher compared to this time last year. 

The national average for a gallon of gas on Friday was $3.41, down a penny from last week but up from the $2.12 average at this time last year, The Associated Press reported.

AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson Tracy Noble told the AP that shorter days could lower the demand for gas since “drivers may head straight home from work to avoid the darkness rather than tack on side trips for shopping or errands.” 

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm addressed the rising gas prices last week, saying that she hopes prices will not reach $4 in the near future and that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is “controlling the agenda.”

The news follows a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in October warning that U.S. households are expected to spend more on energy this year than they have the “past several winters,” with the price of natural gas going up by about 30 percent.