MIAMI VALLEY — Drivers can save hundreds per year on gas if they avoid weekend fill-ups and shop around at local gas stations to find the best price per gallon.
Based on an analysis of daily statewide fuel prices over the past year, Sunday is the most consistently affordable day to fill up, while mid-week, Wednesday through Friday, tends to be more expensive, according to GasBuddy.
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While prices tend to fluctuate with oil markets and seasonal demands, buying on the lowest-priced weekday instead of the most expensive one can save drivers 4 to 9 cents per gallon with little effort.
Joseph Winsood from Beavercreek said, “I do see a little cheaper on Monday.”
Winsood said that he tries to get gas when it’s 10 cents cheaper.
Patrick De Haan said that people should try to fill up before 10 am on Mondays.
“Gas prices don’t just move based on global oil markets — they also follow a weekly rhythm,” said De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.
In some states, including Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Florida, Texas, and parts of the West Coast, gas prices follow a more pronounced pattern known as price cycling.
In these markets, prices will “reset” sharply higher on a specific day, and then will slowly decline over the following days before the next spike
In price-cycling states, the best savings will come 5 to 7 days after a price jump, when competition drives prices back down.
In these states, the gap between buying at the peak of a spike and near the bottom of a cycle can range from 15 to 45 cents per gallon.
De Hann said Ohio drivers are fortunate with new gas stations in the market like Sheetz and Wawa.
New stations are forcing established stations to keep prices competitive, regardless of which way drivers are heading.
Timing alone is not the only strategy for cheaper gas prices. Shopping around can typically save a driver 5 to 10 cents per gallon.
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