Gas prices have fallen slightly in Rhode Island, to an average $2.51 per gallon for regular unleaded.

AAA Northeast says its weekly survey on Monday found that the price of gas in the state had fallen an average of two cents per gallon from last week.

The price in Rhode Island is two cents below the average price nationally, of $2.53 per gallon.

But it's 20 cents higher than at this time last year, when gas was averaging $2.31 per gallon in the Ocean State.

AAA's Lloyd Albert says Rhode Island is bucking the national trend of higher prices this week. But he says that could change because of higher crude oil prices, which could soon produce higher prices at local gas pumps.