According to this week’s Triple-A East Central Gas Price Report the average price is five cents cheaper this week at $2.81 a gallon. In Beaver, drivers are paying 2.76 a gallon while in New Castle, the average price is nearly three cents lower at 2.73. The national average is $2.61, which is three cents cheaper than last week, 17-cents less than a month ago and 22-cents cheaper than a year ago. A year ago the average in Western Pennsylvania was at 3.09 a gallon.