Gas prices in Florida spiked an average of 40 cents over the past week, the second-largest one-week jump since the start of the war in Iran.
The auto club AAA put the average price in Florida at $4.34 a gallon on Monday, the highest average since the middle of 2022.
Averages for gas ranged from $3.95 in Escambia County to $4.59 in Monroe County. In Flagler County on Monday, gas was selling for $4.37 a gallon at many stations along State Road 100 and $4.39 along Palm Coast Parkway.
Diesel was $5.41 a gallon on Monday. The diesel average was up 11 cents over the week.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, on Sunday advised prices across the nation may fluctuate in the short-term. But he added that tightening supplies due to regional refinery issues and global oil markets moving higher over concerns of prolonged disruptions in key shipping lanes indicates “continued volatility —and the potential for more spikes.”
“This isn’t just another routine price cycle,” De Haan wrote. “It’s a combination of global tension and local disruption hitting at the same time — and consumers are feeling it immediately.”
Prices are also affected by the seasonal demand of increased spring and summer driving and increased agricultural production, De Haan noted.
Still, he warned that while gasoline prices have grabbed headlines, diesel’s surge may be the bigger concern.
“Diesel is the backbone of the economy — used in trucking, agriculture, and shipping. With planting season underway, farmers are getting hit at the worst possible time,” De Haan wrote. “That means higher input costs now … and likely higher food prices later.”
The national average for gas on Monday was $4.46 a gallon, with diesel at $5.64.
In Florida, gas prices stood at a $2.89 average on Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel began military operations against Iran.
For electric vehicles, the cost per kilowatt-hour at Florida charging stations stood at 41 cents on Monday. The price was 39 cents on Feb. 28.
–News Service of Florida
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