Gas price decline: Day 76
Price remains above $2 a gallon in only Alaska, Hawaii, New York and D.C.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Gas prices fell for the 76th consecutive day and sold below $2 a gallon in all but three states and the District of Columbia, according to a daily survey of credit-card swipes at gas stations released Tuesday.
The national average gas price slipped 0.8 cents to $1.812 a gallon, more than a dollar lower than the $3.061 average price seen a year ago, according to motorist group AAA.
Gas prices have fallen nearly 56% since hitting a record high of $4.114 a gallon on July 17. Tuesday's price was the lowest since January 2005, according to AAA.
Worry over falling fuel consumption in the current economic crisis has driven the price of crude oil, a main component of gasoline, down more than 65% on the open market since July.
Typically, energy expenditures are the first to be trimmed during periods of economic sluggishness as business activity declines and consumers try to save money by driving less and using less energy.
State prices: Gasoline is now selling below $2 a gallon, on average, in all states except Alaska ($2.781), Hawaii ($2.664), New York ($2.178), and the District of Columbia ($2.041). Missouri had the lowest prices at $1.563 a gallon.
Diesel: The price of diesel fuel, which is used by most trucks and commercial vehicles, ticked slightly upward to an average of $2.745 a gallon from $2.744 a gallon a day earlier, according to AAA.
Diesel prices have fallen more than 43% since hitting a high of $4.845 in July.
Ethanol: The price of E85, an 85% ethanol blend made primarily from corn, plummeted 4.2 cents to $1.554 a gallon on average from $1.596, according to AAA.
E85 can be used as a gas substitute in "flex-fuel" vehicles. However, it is difficult to find ethanol outside of the corn-producing Midwest region, and it is not sold at the pump in some states.
The AAA figures, compiled by Oil Price Information Services, are state-wide averages based on credit-card swipes at up to 100,000 service stations across the nation. Individual drivers may see lower fuel prices in different areas of each state. 
-
Business owners are growing their sales by swapping everything from boats to lingerie. More -
President Obama's plan would give small banks access to capital, but they are wary of TARP traps. More -
Minimum wage to $20 an hour. That's what Sally Delk hopes for with a job at the nuclear power plant. More -
Charlotte Street was the epicenter of urban blight. No longer. Now Bimmers and boats fill driveways. More -
Ex-convicts like Gregory Headley are 'at the back of the line' in the struggle to find work. More
