Average gas prices were up 29 cents a gallon from a week earlier and 50 cents from a month earlier, according to the AAA auto club.
Prices are expected to continue going up because of factors including higher demand during the summer driving season, a decrease in domestic oil supplies and an increase in U.S. gasoline exports.
AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said the increased fuel costs are being felt throughout the economy. “America runs on diesel and gasoline,” Jenkins said. “So, when those prices are much higher, that raises the cost of transporting your goods. So, getting groceries to the grocery store costs more money and delivering things to your doorstep will get more expensive.”
The most-expensive gas in Florida is in Palm Beach and Broward Counties, while drivers in the Panhandle markets of Pensacola, Panama City and Fort Walton Beach are paying the least.
“We never really thought that we’d be at four dollars a gallon,” Jenkins said. “Now, it’s really quite a surprise to see us at $4.50. There are just so many factors coming together to create this unwelcome recipe for higher prices at the pump.”
This article appears in May 12-18, 2022.