Although state and national averages for the price of fuel per gallon have gone down slightly from 2012, prices still remain high at the pump.

And although there are many factors that play a part in fuel pricing, there’s one factor that residents seem to be forgetting and it’s the simplest one — price shopping.

Buying the cheapest gas may seem like a no-brainer, but studies are beginning to show that most do not participate in the price-savvy activity. And when residents don’t actively seek the lowest gas prices in their area, it’s their wallets and bank accounts that suffer.

We know visiting the same gas station is convenient, but we encourage everyone to find and use stations that offer the lowest price because this in effect could lower prices all around Selma and Dallas County.

“Over a very short period of time that will motivate all the other stations to cut their prices to try and get our business,” Clay Ingram, AAA representative said regarding price shopping. “We have the power to force those prices down, we’re just not using them.”

By not price shopping, we are allowing gas stations to maintain those high prices because they have no incentive to get more business. All it takes is a little more searching. Sometimes, the cheaper gas station is just across the street from your favorite mini-mart.

Also, AAA offers a useful tool that we encourage everyone to use — the fuel price finder. By simply logging on to www.AAA.com and clicking on the fuel price finder, residents can see gas prices throughout Selma and Dallas County and thus visit stations with the lowest fuel prices..

“It’s free and easy and will show you where the cheapest gas in your area is,” Ingram said. “The more people we have to participate in that behavior the more powerful it is and the lower prices will drop.”

So, next time you visit your usual gas station because it’s easy and convenient, consider participating in price shopping. As a city, we have the power to put a significant dent in how much we pay at the pump.