AAA: Florida Gas Prices Race Toward Record Highs

Florida gas prices skyrocketed last week to the highest levels in a decade. Prices at the pump rose an average of 44 cents per gallon in the last five days, reaching an average price of $3.97 on Sunday. 

“Unfortunately, more price hikes are on the way and drivers may soon begin to see record high prices at the pump,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Gas prices are being dragged higher by sky high oil prices, which are surging in response to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Sanctions and regulations against Russia has limited its ability to sell its oil on the global market, thus intensifying global supply concerns in what was already a very tight market due to the pandemic.”

The U.S. price of oil surged 26% last week, rising a little more than $24 per barrel. An increase of that magnitude translates to a 60 cent increase at the pump. So far, the state average has increased 44 cents since last week, which means another 10-15 cent hike is possible. If that happens, the state average would eventually surpass the previous all-time high, moving toward around $4.12 per gallon. The current record high price for regular unleaded gasoline in Florida is $4.08 per gallon, which was set on July 16, 2008.

• On Sunday, the national average price for gasoline reached $4 a gallon for the first time since July 2008. 
• When the state average exceeds $3.97 per gallon, Florida gas prices will officially be the most expensive in 14 years (July 2008). 
• Read AAA’s recent news release regarding how rising gas prices are affecting Floridians’ driving habits.

Fuel Price Overview

• Sunday‘s Florida Avg. – $3.96 per gallon
• Highest Since – April 2012
• Avg. Cost for a Fill-Up – $59 ($41 last year)
• 2021 High – $3.36 per gallon
• 2022 U.S. Oil Price High – $115.68 per barrel (Friday)
• 2021 U.S. Oil Price High – $84.65 per barrel

Regional Prices

• Most expensive metro markets – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton ($4.06), Gainesville ($4.00), Pensacola ($3.98)
• Least expensive metro markets – Sebring ($3.91), Lakeland-Winter Haven ($3.92), Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater ($3.93)

Fuel Savings Tips

• Maintain your vehicle to optimize fuel economy. Visit AAA.com/AutoRepair to find a trusted repair facility.
• Combine errands to limit driving time.
• Shop around for the best gas prices in your community.
• Consider paying cash. Some retailers charge extra per gallon for customers who pay with a credit card.
• Remove excess weight in your vehicle.
• Drive conservatively. Aggressive acceleration and speeding reduces fuel economy.
• Enroll in savings programs. AAA Members who enroll in Shell’s Fuel Rewards program can save 5 cents per gallon when they fill up at Shell. Click here for more information.

Find Florida Gas Prices

• Daily gas price averages can be found at Gasprices.aaa.com 
• State and metro averages can be found here

	Sunday	Saturday	Week Ago	Month Ago	One Year Ago	Record High
National	$4.009	$3.922	$3.604	$3.439	$2.760	$4.11   (7/17/2008)
Florida	$3.956	$3.810	$3.519	$3.467	$2.714	$4.08   (7/17/2008)
Georgia	$3.880	$3.776	$3.501	$3.248	$2.585	$4.16   (9/15/2008)
Click here to view current gasoline price averages

Gas Price Survey Methodology
AAA updates fuel price averages daily at www.GasPrices.AAA.com. Every day up to 130,000 stations are surveyed based on credit card swipes and direct feeds in cooperation with the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) and Wright Express for unmatched statistical reliability. All average retail prices in this report are for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline.

Source: News Release