AAA: Gas prices lower than last year in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – If you’re traveling tomorrow, you can rest easy knowing you will be saving money at the pump. 

New Mexico as a whole is sitting at $3.06 a gallon. Of course, there are some parts of the state paying a little more and others paying a little less.

Regardless, gas this year in New Mexico is 34 cents cheaper than last year.

Farmington is a little higher at $3.84 cents. The Santa Fe area is sitting around $2.95. Las Cruces is at $2.82 and in the metro we are looking at $2.86.

KOB 4 went out to check prices ourselves and to our surprise most gas stations were cheaper than that.

Experts say there are two big factors in the cheaper gas prices, the switch to winter blend gasoline that is cheaper to produce, and the crude oil prices going down recently. 

“This is one of the busiest travel days of the year and one of the busiest holiday travel periods of the year. There is certainly the possibility for fluctuations, but overall, gas prices are cheaper than they were a year ago and continue to get a little bit cheaper over the next few days,” said Daniel Armbruster with AAA New Mexico Media Relations.

While gas is fairly cheap, there are things drivers can do to make maximize fuel efficiency. 

Drivers should avoid braking or accelerating too quickly, and they should use cruise control as much as possible for those long distance road trips.

Another money saving tip is to download a gas saving app like the AAA mobile app or GasBuddy that helps you find the cheapest gas near you.