CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)- Welcome news for South Carolina drivers as gas prices nudged down in the past week after several weeks on the rise.

The state gas price fell by 9.7 cents in the last week and South Carolinians can expect to pay $3.14 per gallon at the pump on average, based on a survey from GasBuddy of 3,028 gas stations across the state.

Gas prices in South Carolina are 13.8 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 1.9 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

The survey found that the cheapest gas in the state is priced at $2.76 per gallon while the most expensive is $3.76 per gallon, a difference of $1.00 per gallon.

The national average price of gasoline has fallen 4.4 cents, averaging $3.44 per gallon today. The national average is 17.5 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stands 1.7 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

“For the first time in 2023, the national average price of gasoline has seen a weekly decline, primarily thanks to a sharp and sudden drop in the price of oil,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy said. “While the decline in both gasoline and diesel prices is terrific, it’s not unusual to see prices falling in February, which tends to be the month with some of the lowest gasoline prices of the year thanks to seasonally weak demand.”

The national average price of diesel fell by 5.2 cents in the last week and now stands at $4.60 per gallon.

“For diesel, we’re likely to see more declines, and potentially much more significant in the weeks ahead as imports of distillate have accelerated, leading to a sell off,” De Haan added. “And, with warmer weather ahead, demand may struggle as well.”