Those filling up at the gas pump may have noticed it’s not as painful as it was just weeks ago.

AAA Alabama Spokesperson Clay Ingram said prices have decreased quite a bit in recent weeks for a variety of reasons.

The state average cost for gasoline is $2.15 per gallon, which Ingram said is more than $1 less than this time last year.

Locally, prices rang from $2.38 per gallon down to $1.96 per gallon.

“This is the time of year when we usually see a decrease in price because the summer travel season is winding up and our demand is naturally decreasing, which is usually accompanied by a decrease in price as well,” he said. “Global economic concerns, especially in China and Greece, have caused crude oil prices to dip below $40 per barrel, which has caused our pump prices to drop even further.”

Ingram said that prices will likely continue to drop throughout the rest of the year.

“However, anything can happen, especially during hurricane season.