White House prices gasoline at $3.49, one cent cheaper than July 4 last year

The White House boasted Thursday that U.S. gasoline prices had fallen by one cent from a year earlier, the “lowest holiday price” since last July 4.

“Gas prices on July 4 are expected to hit a 3-year low,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a message on X, formerly Twitter.

The forecast is based on an estimate from GasBuddy this week, which said the average gas price this Independence Day will be $3.49, down more than $1.30 from 2022.

DRIVING ON THE FOURTH OF JULY? WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO PAY FOR GASOLINE

gas prices

This photo illustration shows a gas pump filling up a vehicle at a Chevron gas station on December 5, 2022 in Houston, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“For those hitting the road to celebrate Independence Day, gas prices have seen modest fluctuations of late, but most states are seeing prices close to or well below year-ago levels,” Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s chief petroleum analyst, said in a news release. “While the first half of summer has been relatively smooth, the road ahead could be bumpy. Activity in the tropics has picked up and forecasts continue for a very busy hurricane season. Even after the holiday fireworks are over, we’ll be watching for potential fireworks at the pumps that could be caused by hurricanes disrupting refineries.”

GasBuddy’s forecast comes just weeks after the American Farm Bureau (AFB) announced that the average price for a 10-person barbecue on Independence Day this year would be $71.22, up 5 percent from last year and nearly 30 percent from five years ago.

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Biden at the gas pump

The Biden administration announced the one-cent cut on July 4, 2024. (Getty Images/iStock/iStock)

“Higher grocery store prices reflect some of the challenges facing American families. Lower availability of some barbecue staples and inflation are hitting people in the pocketbooks,” said Roger Cryan, AFB’s chief economist. “Farmers are also feeling the effects of high prices. They are price takers, not price makers. Their share of the retail food market is only 15 percent, but they are still paying higher prices for fuel, fertilizer and other supplies.”

The agency’s annual market research found that the cost of beef and lemonade rose by double digits compared to last year, while chicken fillets and potato salad fell slightly.

HOW IT STARTED… HOW IT IS: JULY 4TH BBQ COSTS RISE UNDER BIDEN

Fourth of July celebration

WalletHub has announced which cities will be celebrating the 4th of July this year. (iStock / iStock)

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Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for additional comment.

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