Staff Reports
Florida gas prices dropped by an average of 3 cents during the last four days, AAA–The Auto Club Group said in a news release.
And gas prices “should decline 5-10 cents through Thanksgiving weekend,” said Mark Jenkins, AAA spokesman. “Although gasoline demand will be high this week, it will be cheaper for gas stations to purchase their fuel than a week ago.
“Since retailers profit more off of concessions in their convenience stores than the sale of gasoline, they will be more likely to lower gas prices as a way to attract passing motorists.”
The lower prices comes as the feds “reported a weekly increase in crude and gasoline inventories, and growth in domestic oil production, allowing oil prices to weaken from their 2-year highs, and wholesale gasoline prices to drop nearly 10 cents,” according to the release.
Motorists looking for inexpensive gas also should check out intersections with more than one service station, Jenkins advised, because of the competition.
“Oftentimes gas stations wait until Friday to lower their prices, in hopes that managers at rival stations are not paying attention, or gone for the weekend,” he said.
Conversely, “some of the highest prices are often at gas stations in rural areas, near airports, and at interstate on/off ramps.”
So far this year, the highest average price for gasoline nationally was $2.67 on Sept. 8. The lowest was $2.23 on July 5.
In Florida, the highest average price in was $2.73 on Sept. 9. The lowest was $2.13 on July 17.
— AAA recommends you shop before you pump: GasPrices.AAA.com offers daily national, state, and metro gas price averages, and the free AAA Mobile app shows current prices at a gas station near you.
