Average gasoline prices in Florida surged 19 cents a gallon during the past week as motorists continued their summer travels amid rising oil prices.
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded Monday was $3.66, up from $3.47 a week earlier, according to the AAA auto club.
Pump prices hit an average of $3.67 a gallon Friday and Saturday, the highest price since late April.
"Oil prices are the primary culprit behind the recent jump at the pump," AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a prepared statement. "The U.S. price of oil rose 15 percent through the past five weeks, which raised the cost of producing gasoline."
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Oil prices jumped $10 a barrel since the start of the month to just over $80 on Friday, according to AAA.
“According to our partners at the Oil Price Information Service, prices are being sent higher by strong economic data, which raises expectations for fuel demand,” AAA said in a news release. “Additionally, record-breaking heat has led to some refinery outages along the Gulf Coast, leading to reductions in fuel output.”
Nationally, the average price of a gallon of regular unleaded stood at $3.76 on Monday, up from $3.60 a week earlier.
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The highest averages in Florida were in Southeast Florida and Southwest Florida. The lowest averages were in the Panhandle.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis with the fuel-savings app GasBuddy, said summer demand might soon slow, ahead of students returning to school.
