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NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Gasoline maintained a downward pace Thursday as pump prices fell over two cents, according to travel club AAA's daily fuel report.

The nationwide average price for regular unleaded fell to $2.571 a gallon Thursday, down from Wednesday's price of $2.593.

The average price for regular unleaded is almost 16 percent lower than the record high of $3.05 that it hit on Labor Day following Hurricane Katrina.

Retail diesel, which has not experienced price declines as significant as gasoline, fell by almost two cents Thursday to $3.193 a gallon from $3.21 Wednesday. Diesel prices are up about 43 percent from last year.

Gas prices have steadily fallen during the past two weeks on signs that the soaring expense of energy is finally starting to curb consumption within the U.S., the world's biggest user of fuel.

In its weekly inventory report, the U.S. government reported Wednesday that demand for gasoline was two percent lower last week despite the recent decline in pump prices.

Some analysts however expect prices to rebound as winter approaches.

AAA's daily fuel pricing survey reported that residents pay the most in Hawaii, where the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded was $3.083. They pay the least in Oklahoma, where $2.215 was the average price Thursday.

Midgrade gasoline prices fell over two cents Wednesday to $2.729 a gallon from Wednesday's price of $2.754, while the cost of premium unleaded fell to $2.830 a gallon from $2.854 on Wednesday, AAA reported.

Although regular unleaded has moved off its highs and is starting to track downward, prices are still stronger than a year ago. At that time, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was about 54 cents cheaper at $2.027, according to AAA.

-- from staff and wire reports

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