Gasoline prices in Florida rose an average of 10 cents a gallon last week and the state average on Sunday stood at $3.46 a gallon, the highest since mid-May, according to AAA, which tracks fuel prices in the US.
Despite the fact that summer has not officially begun, the driving season and fuel demand have skyrocketed in the last week, according to Mark Jenkins, spokesman for AAA – The Auto Club Group.
“Gasoline demand numbers for the last few weeks have been stronger than what we saw during the same time last year. That has contributed to (price) volatility at the pump, which is perfectly normal in this time of year. The good news for drivers is that oil prices remain low. As long as that is the case, the state average should remain below this year’s high of $3.72 per gallon.”
On Friday, the price of oil in the United States was at $70.17 per barrel. That is 2% less than last week and $13.09/b less than this year’s high. Oil prices fell last week, despite OPEC’s efforts to boost oil prices by extending output cuts set to expire this year and, in the case of Saudi Arabia, pledging to cut 1 million barrels per additional days starting in July.
National gasoline demand figures from the Energy Information Administration put gasoline demand at more than 9.2 million barrels per day. The weekly total is just over 1% over the same period last year. Gasoline demand in the last four weeks averaged 2% higher than in the same period last year.
THE MOST EXPENSIVE AND CHEAPEST GASOLINE IN FLORIDA
The highest gas prices the week before were in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton ($3.62), Naples ($3.52) and Port St. Lucie ($3.51). While the lowest prices were found in Crestview-Fort Walton Beach ($3.18), Pensacola ($3.22), Panama City ($3.22).
In Miami-Dade and Broward, the average price of gasoline woke up this Monday at $3.49 a gallon, while in Palm Beach, it stood at $3.62, according to the AAA survey.
If you are concerned about the price of gasoline there are small things you can do to save fuel and therefore money.
SAVING TIPS
There are ways in which drivers can save fuel, here is a list of recommendations from some specialists:
- Driving smoother, which can make your car’s engine run more efficiently. Do not speed or race from stoplight to stoplight.
- Compare prices. Depending on where you live, there can be large or small price variations between gas stations. And even if the difference in price per gallon may only be a few cents, it can still add up to hundreds of dollars per year.
- There are apps like GasBuddy, Gas Guru, and AAA TripTik, which you can use to find the best prices along your route.
- Some loyalty programs, which many of the major gas station chains have, offer discounts and most are free.
- Share trips with friends, family or trusted neighbors who have the same destination or at least very close. Leaving the car at home for at least one day can make a difference.
- Maintain the air pressure in the vehicle’s tires at the recommended values and do not have the car loaded to make it heavier.
