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AAA: Memorial Day Gas Prices Set New Record High

Florida gas prices held relatively steady through the holiday weekend as an estimated 2 million Floridians were projected to take a Memorial Day road trip.

Memorial Day gas prices were officially the holiday’s most expensive on record. The state average price of $4.57 per gallon was $1.71 per gallon more than last year’s holiday and well above the previous Memorial Day high of $3.93 per gallon – set in 2008.

Florida gas prices are now 60% more expensive than what drivers paid this time last year. The average Floridian is now paying about $68 to fill an average 15-gallon tank. That’s $25 more for a fill up than a year ago.

“Gas prices appeared to level out over the weekend, but there’s renewed upward pressure on pump prices after an active week on the oil market both last week and overnight,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Tightness in the global fuel market has kept a high floor on fuel prices. The price of oil traded higher overnight after the European Union announced a partial ban on Russian oil imports. The region, which is historically reliant on Russian oil and gas, will now have to find alternative suppliers, in what is already an extremely tight fuel market. The longer oil prices remain elevated, the longer American drivers will endure this unprecedented pain at the pump.”

On Friday, the U.S. price of oil closed at $115.07 per barrel.  That’s 2% more than the week before, yet $8.63/b (7%) less than this year’s high of $123.70 – set back in March.

Regional Prices

  • Most expensive metro markets – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton ($4.71), Naples ($4.61), Fort Lauderdale ($4.60)
  • Least expensive metro markets – Crestview-Fort Walton Beach ($4.36), Pensacola ($4.38), Panama City ($4.40)

Ways to Save on Gasoline

  • Combine errands to limit driving time.
  • Shop around for the best gas prices in your community.
  • Pay with cash. Some retailers charge extra per gallon for customers who pay with a credit card.
  • Remove excess weight in your vehicle. Every 100 pounds taken out of the vehicle improves fuel economy by 1-2 percent.
  • Drive conservatively. Aggressive acceleration and speeding reduces fuel economy.

AAA Resources for Drivers

  • Enroll in savings programs. AAA Members who enroll in Shell’s Fuel Rewards program can save 30 cents per gallon on their first fill-up and 5 cents per gallon each additional trip to the pump. Click here for more information.
  • Get a tune-up. Ensure your vehicle is properly maintained to optimize its fuel economy. Visit AAA.com/AutoRepair to find a certified repair shop.
  • Find the lowest gas prices in your area by using the free AAA mobile app.
  • Determine anticipated fuel costs for your trip by using the AAA’s Gas Cost Calculator.

Find Florida Gas Prices

  • Daily gas price averages can be found at Gasprices.aaa.com 
  • State and metro averages can be found here
AAA GAS PRICE AVERAGES
(Price per gallon of regular unleaded gasoline)
Monday Sunday Week Ago Month Ago One Year Ago
National $4.619 $42.610 $4.596 $4.178 $3.045
Florida $4.574 $4.577 $4.477 $4.184 $2.866
Georgia $4.135 $4.134 $4.143 $3.717 $2.913
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