Gas prices in the region are around 50 cents higher this June than they were last year and that is having an impact on demand.  Triple-A Iowa’s Rose White says it is unusual to see the amount of gas used by motorists dropping.

The drop in demand is only one of the factors that has led to a slight decrease in gas prices this week.

She says gas prices will usually drop from two to four cents a gallon with each one dollar drop in the price of oil.

White says gas is averaging two-79 a gallon or about 13 cents below the national average.  That price is a drop of three cents from last week — but the cost is still 53 cents higher than one year ago when a gallon of gas cost two dollars, 26 cents.