Utahns used 20 percent less gasoline over a decade

Andrew Adams and AP reportingUtah drivers are using less gas, according to new numbers that tracked gasoline use over a decade.

Utahns are using 20 percent less gasoline, according to analysis by The Deseret News. In fact, the 1.14 gallons of gas consumer per person per day is a 20-year low.

Consumption has dropped in eight of the last 10 years. It's a sharp contrast to the decade from 1987 to 1997 when gas use was on the rise.

The difference now? Experts say there are more energy-efficient cars, more people using public transit, and gas prices have driven consumption down.

In 1997, a gallon of gasoline cost just $1.33 in Utah.

The Deseret News says it used retail-sales figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration to make the calculation.

E-mail: aadams@ksl.com

(The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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