On Thursday, fuel prices at Army and Air Force Exchange Service pumps in parts of Europe will hit their lowest point 18 months.

Thanks to lower stateside gas prices and a new fuel pricing policy, the prices of fuel sold at AAFES gas stations and through its coupon program will drop more than 13 cents a gallon of regular unleaded in Germany.

Fuel prices in Italy, however, will not change in February, Bart Di Muccio, tax-free program administrator in Italy, said last week.

As announced Friday, AAFES’ new prices will not be locked in for the entire month. From Thursday on, AAFES’ gas prices will be based on the most recent weekly average from the U.S. Department of Energy plus the incremental costs associated with providing motor fuel overseas. In Germany, those costs are about 16.6 cents per gallon.

The next price will go into effect Feb. 10, and it will be adjusted every Saturday after that, AAFES said.

The roughly 13-cent decline in AAFES’ fuel prices is not the biggest drop in recent months, but it does bring prices down to a level not seen since July 2005, when a gallon of regular gas in Germany costs a fraction more than $2.30. For at least the first nine days of February, that same gallon will cost a fraction more than $2.33.

According to Energy Department statistics, the average price for regular unleaded fuel in the U.S. fell 17.6 cents a gallon since AAFES’ last price adjustment, which kicked in Jan. 1. Under AAFES’ former monthly gas pricing policy, which based prices on monthly stateside averages, a gallon of regular gas would have gone down about two cents to $2.44.

From Feb. 10 on, AAFES gasoline prices will change every week at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. The exchange’s prices for fuel coupons sold in Germany and the Netherlands will change on the same schedule, according to an AAFES news release.

Also beginning Thursday, super unleaded gas will sell for about $2.63 a gallon in the Netherlands, $2.39 in the United Kingdom, $2.82 in the Azores and $2.45 in Turkey.

According to AAFES, prices for all grades of fuel in the Netherlands, including diesel, were set at the “floor” selling price, as were the prices for premium fuel in the Azores and diesel in Turkey. At “floor” prices, AAFES sells fuel at the cost it pays plus its distribution costs.

Gasoline coupons sold in Italy are not administered by AAFES and are not affected by the change in pricing frequency, according to Debbie Byerly, an AAFES spokeswoman. In Italy, the price for a 100-liter booklet of unleaded fuel remains at its December and January prices of $66, and the price for a 100-liter booklet for diesel remains at $75.

This translates to roughly $2.50 a gallon in Italy — roughly 33 cents more than the U.S. national average.

Stars and Stripes reporter Sandra Jontz contributed to this report.

AAFES gas prices

Following are prices for fuel purchased through the Army and Air Force Exchange Service:

Germany:Unleaded — $2.331Super unleaded — $2.443Super plus unleaded — $2.547Diesel — $2.579

The Netherlands:Super unleaded — $2.636Super plus unleaded — $2.897Diesel — $2.658

United Kingdom:Super unleaded — $2.392Super plus unleaded — $2.496Diesel — $2.528

Azores:Super unleaded — $2.825

Turkey:Super unleaded — $2.453Diesel coupons - $2.586