Warren County drivers are paying $3.81 per gallon for regular gas, despite Ohio's 38.5-cent gas tax suspension, which took effect Oct. 4.

AAA data for Oct. 14 put the statewide average at $3.83 per gallon, the Dayton Daily News reported. The national average stood at $4.33. Warren County fell below both, but the gap between the tax break and what drivers actually feel at the pump has been slim.

Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 519 on Oct. 1, suspending the state's 38.5-cent-per-gallon gas tax and 47-cent-per-gallon diesel tax for 90 days starting Oct. 4. The state set aside $725 million in general revenue to replace lost road-maintenance funding. The rollback runs through Jan. 2, 2027.

Prices have dropped from a month ago. The Dayton metro area averaged $3.79 per gallon on Oct. 14, down from $4.06 a month earlier, according to AAA. But that same metro average was $2.63 a year ago, before the conflict in Iran pushed crude prices higher.

The relief has limits.

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said he was awaiting updates on two refineries in Hurricane Isaias' path, the outcome of which could affect supply. "For now, the trend is cautiously in the right direction for motorists," De Haan said, according to the Dayton Daily News. Stations are also switching from summer-blend to cheaper winter-blend gasoline, working through more expensive summer stock in the process, the newspaper reported.

The law requires gas stations to pass the full savings to customers, Fox 19 reported, but it does not spell out a specific penalty for stations that fail to do so. Democratic lawmakers argued during the Sept. 30 vote that the bill lacked guardrails to prevent oil and gas companies from pocketing a share of the savings, the Journal-News reported. Republican leaders acknowledged some savings would not reach consumers but said the majority would.

State Rep. Adam Mathews, R-Lebanon, who represents parts of Warren County and voted for H.B. 519, said in a Sept. 30 statement that "Ohioans deserve a break at the pump and roads that are still there when the holiday ends."

Among surrounding counties on Oct. 14, Butler County had the lowest average at $3.74 per gallon. Clark County had the highest at $3.83.