Local residents may have seen a little relief in their pocketbooks when pumping gas this week.

Gas prices around town range from $3.02 per gallon to $3.09 per gallon.

Clay Ingram, spokesperson for AAA Alabama, told the Star-News on Tuesday it’s the time of year when gas prices generally decrease.

“It is just that time of year when we start to see gas prices decrease, along with our demand, since we have finished our summer travel season,” he said. “Plus, it seems like we have a lot of room for decrease based on our crude oil prices.”

On Tuesday, crude oil prices ended the day at $94.79 per barrel.

Throughout the state, prices were similar to Andalusia.

“I have already had reports of stations selling for $2.99 around the state, and we should see a lot more of those in coming weeks.”

Ingram, who is always a proponent of price shopping, encouraged that as well.

“Price shopping is a key element in determining how much of a drop in prices we will see,” he said. “We must price shop for every tank full.”

Clerks at Fletcher’s Cenergy said that prices are a lot lower at their station than others. Prices were $3.02 per gallon for regular unleaded.

Roger Knox of Andalusia, who owns Rogers Refrigeration, said, “prices are good.”

“They need to keep going down,” he said.

On a national level, analysts predict gas prices will be the least expensive they have been in four years.

Analysts attribute that to greater crude oil production at home, more fuel-efficient vehicles and loosened environmental regulations.

According to Gasbuddy.com, the current national average was $3.38 per gallon on Tuesday, which is the lowest price per gallon since Feb. 22.

Gasbuddy.com also predicts the national average to fall between $3.15 per gallon and $3.25 per gallon.

Domestic fuel production is at its highest level in 28 years.