TAMPA, Fla. — It's not your imagination, prices at the pump are once again on the rise as the busy summer travel season nears. Gas prices in Florida rose nearly 10 cents in the last week to settle at $4.18 as of Monday morning, according to AAA.
The current price is the same as it was a month ago and could be headed even higher in the coming weeks. AAA said fears of global supply disruptions due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and high demand combined to keep oil prices around $100 a barrel. Oil makes up 60% of the cost at the pump.
“As long as the supply remains tight, it will be hard for crude oil prices to fall and consumers will in turn face higher prices at the pump,” AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in a statement. “It now costs drivers in the U.S. about $23 more to fill up than a year ago.”
In the Tampa Bay area, a gallon of regular gas runs $4.19 in Hillsborough County, $4.18 in Pinellas County, $4.19 in Manatee County, and $4.19 in Polk County.
Florida's gas prices are now just $0.01 lower than the national average of $4.19 a gallon. Florida's gas prices are the highest in the southeastern United States and almost $0.50 more than Georgia's average price.
So far, Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature are planning no immediate action to help drivers with the high gas prices. Other states have suspended gas taxes, given gas cards, and taken other steps to help residents deal with the higher costs.
