Gas prices are at their lowest since 2010 and residents are noticing, but it’s natural with this time of year, officials say.

“The fall season usually provides a fall in demand from the summer travel season, since we have our vacations behind us and the kids are back in school, etc.,” Clay Ingram, public relations and marketing manager of AAA Alabama said. “It is just that time of year when our prices naturally drop due to our drop in demand.”

The Alabama state average is currently $2.87 per gallon, which is down more than 10 percent from last year.

In comparison to other states, gas prices in Alabama are normally lower.

“Alabama usually has some of the lower gas prices in the country, as we typically fall into the group of 10 lowest priced states in the country,” Ingram said. “This is true at the moment.”

Some of the lowest fuel prices in Alabama are being seen in Eufaula at $2.62 per gallon, according to gasbuddy.com.

Ingram said he doesn’t expect prices to return above $3 until possibly February or March, but one local gas station owner believes that prices will increase sooner.

“I’d be surprised if it held off that long,” Roy Mohon, owner of the local Gitty-Up-N-Go franchise, said. “It would be great if it continued to be this low, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

“In my opinion, it’s already going up as we speak,” he said. “Once you start hearing about it in the news it will start going up.”

Mohon said that the speculators and stock futures in the U.S. stock market drive up the prices of fuel.

“Speculation has a lot to do with it,” he said. “It’s not a matter of supply and demand, there is plenty of oil and gasoline out there.”

He said oil and gas is being traded more than 40 times before being used and every time those trades are made, someone is making money.

“If the stock market starts going back up, then we can expect that gas prices will too,” he said.

Although he said he believes that gas prices are going to rise, Mohon is still lowering his prices at the Gitty-Up-N-Go’s to stay competitive.

He said unleaded gas is now at $2.73 at his stores.

According to gasbuddy.com, other locations in the area with low unleaded gas prices are:

• Citgo on Hwy. 29 toward Shaw for $2.73;

• Kangaroo on MLK Expressway for $2.74;

• Murphy USA on MLK Expressway for $2.76;

• Super C in Opp for $2.76 per gallon; and

• Cenergy on Hwy. 29 for $2.77.