The downward trend at the pump came to an end last week, according to TripleA. The state average price for regular unleaded increased 7 cents per gallon, reaching $3.61 on Sunday.
This snapped what became a 70-day streak of declines, amounting to a total discount of $1.36 per gallon. That’s the difference of about $20 for a full tank of gas.
The 10-week streak began in mid-June, when the state average fell from its all-time high of $4.89 per gallon down to $3.53/g last Monday.
“Gas prices are rising in response to a recent oil price hike, due to reports that Saudi Arabia could lower fuel output in effort to raise prices,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “The U.S. price of oil rose a total of 5% over the course of the past three weeks. This is not a significant oil price hike, so gas prices may not go much higher, but that could change if there are additional gains in the fuel market this week. As we move into peak hurricane season, a major storm could contribute to rising prices, if it threatens refineries along the Texas, Louisiana or Mississippi coast lines.”
The most expensivemarkets are West Palm Beach-Boca Raton ($3.79), Tallahassee ($3.67), Miami ($3.65). The least expensivemarkets are Crestview-Fort Walton Beach ($3.39), Pensacola ($3.42), Panama City ($3.46)