Macon Gas Falls to $3.913 as Diesel Rises to $5.317

Regular gasoline prices eased in the Macon metro on Friday, July 31, while diesel moved higher. AAA’s latest Georgia fuel-price data lists the Macon metro average for regular gasoline at $3.913 per gallon, down 0.8 cents from $3.921 the previous day. Diesel averaged $5.317 per gallon, up 1.3 cents from $5.304.

Regular gas is slightly higher than a week ago

The daily decline in regular gas was small, and the average remains above each of AAA’s listed comparison points. Friday’s Macon metro average was 0.5 cents higher than the $3.918 average a week earlier, 26.7 cents higher than the $3.646 average a month earlier and 98.9 cents higher than the $2.924 average a year earlier.

The metro figure is an average, so prices at individual stations can vary by neighborhood, brand and location. Drivers may see different prices at the pump even when the broader Macon-area average changes only slightly.

Diesel rises further above $5

Diesel moved in the opposite direction. The Macon metro average rose 1.3 cents from the previous day and was also higher than each comparison point listed by AAA. It was 4.9 cents above the $5.268 average a week ago, 51.2 cents above the $4.805 average a month ago and $1.699 above the $3.618 average a year ago.

At $5.317 per gallon, diesel remains especially important for trucking, construction, agriculture, delivery operations and other businesses that use commercial vehicles. Higher diesel costs can also affect service calls, freight, landscaping, restaurant deliveries and other transportation-dependent work, although the price data does not document specific local business reactions.

Lower Atlantic prices provide broader context

The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s July 28 update put the Lower Atlantic regional average at $3.867 for gasoline and $5.255 for on-highway diesel for the week of July 27. Those figures provide regional context, not a substitute for the Macon metro averages.

Friday’s Macon metro average was 4.6 cents above the Lower Atlantic gasoline figure and 6.2 cents above the regional diesel figure. The two sources use different geographic coverage and collection schedules, so the comparison should not be treated as a same-day station-to-station measurement.

What Macon-area drivers and businesses should watch

For commuters and households, the slight daily drop in gasoline offers limited relief because the average remains above last week, last month and last year. For contractors, farmers, delivery drivers, restaurants and small service businesses, diesel’s increase keeps fuel among the costs worth monitoring when planning routes, setting service prices and managing delivery charges.

Weekend travelers may also want to compare stations before filling up because a metro average can hide meaningful differences between individual pumps. What are the highest and lowest prices you are seeing around Macon? Share the station and price in the comments.

Sources

• AAA Georgia Gas Prices
• U.S. Energy Information Administration Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update