Florida gas prices ease, but still flirt with $3 a gallon

Image via Drew Dixon.

Gas prices across Florida eased 3 cents per gallon in the past week, but still averaged near $3 per gallon in some parts of the state.

The overall average statewide gas price inched downward to $2.94 on Sunday, according to AAA — The Auto Club Group’s weekly report.

That statewide average remains 2 cents per gallon higher than anything seen since 2014, not including the past couple of weeks.

Yet the trend lines suggest more relief, AAA reported Monday.

“Florida drivers got a break from rising gas prices last week, and it appears that trend could continue this week,” AAA spokesperson Mark Jenkins said in a news release. “Although crude oil prices notched another small weekly gain, wholesale gasoline prices declined. Market speculators believe Tropical Depression Claudette will cause reduced gasoline demand in the Southeastern U.S. as residents stay off the road during the storm. It’s possible that gas prices decline another few pennies this week, as a result.”

The price surge, seen nationwide, followed significant gains in the prices of crude oil and gasoline futures, as the recovery in global fuel demand outpaces supply, the auto club group reported last week. AAA reported the recent jump at the pump had largely been driven by the rising price of crude oil.

Florida gas prices peaked this year on June 11 when they hit $2.98 per gallon. A month ago, Florida drivers paid an average of $2.88. A year ago they paid an average of $2.04.

In Sunday’s pump survey, AAA found the cheapest gasoline in Punta Gorda, where the average cost was $2.94 per gallon. The most expensive gasoline was found in West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, where drivers paid an average of $3.07 per gallon.

On Monday AAA reported that drivers in Jacksonville and Orlando saw average prices of $2.90 per gallon; Tampa and Sarasota, $2.91; St. Petersburg, $2.92; Miami and Pensacola, $2.95; Fort Lauderdale and Gainesville, $2.97; Tallahassee, $2.99; and Panama City, $3.06.