Gas price decline: Day 32
Price of regular gas falls to $3.741 a gallon - down about 9% from record high scaled last month.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The price of retail gasoline fell for the 32nd straight day, a daily survey of gas station credit card swipes showed Monday, bringing the nationwide average down 9% from an all-time hit last month.
The average for regular unleaded gasoline fell 1 cent to $3.741 a gallon from the previous day, according to the Daily Fuel Gauge Report from motorist advocacy group AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.
The average price at the pump has fallen about 9% since hitting a record high of $4.114 a gallon on July 17. The decline has come in the wake of a 22% drop in crude futures from their peak last month.
Gas prices, however, remain about 35% higher than a year ago.
Ethanol: Faced with high gas prices, many Americans have turned to ethanol as their fuel of choice.
The price of E85, an 85% ethanol blend, fell slightly to $3.051 a gallon on average from $3.052, AAA reported.
While corn-derived ethanol is cheaper than regular gas, it is only commonly found in the Midwest, where much of the nation's corn is produced.
It also contains less energy than petroleum-based gasoline and burns less efficiently in flex fuel vehicles.
Drivers of vehicles capable of running on ethanol or gasoline would pay about $4.014 a gallon to get the same mileage from ethanol as from regular gas, according to AAA's estimates.
Diesel: The average price for diesel fuel, which is used in most trucks and commercial vehicles, fell to $4.387 a gallon from $4.406 the day before, according to AAA.
The price of diesel remains nearly 50% higher than a year ago. Because it is used in transporting goods, it's climb has helped drive up the prices of products and services.
State prices: Gasoline remains above $4 a gallon in only five states, according to the survey.
Alaska had the highest prices at $4.571 a gallon, up 1.2 cents from the previous day. Hawaii was second at $4.414, followed by California at $4.041, Utah at $4.04 and Idaho at $4.013.
Missouri had the cheapest gas, with prices falling eight-tenths of a cent to $3.506 a gallon. Prices in South Carolina were the second lowest at $3.522, followed by Oklahoma at $3.532, Tennessee at $3.539 and Arkansas at $3.55.
Drivers in Hawaii, the state with the most expensive diesel, paid an average of $5.319 a gallon for diesel. Diesel was cheapest in Missouri, where prices fell to an average of $4.101. 
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