Gasoline prices in Florida have changed little over the past week, but an increase remains in the forecast for the coming months.
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded Monday in the state was $3.30, up a penny from a week earlier and up 13 cents from a month earlier, according to the AAA auto club.
“The recent increases are attributed to rising oil prices, as refineries conduct seasonal maintenance,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a prepared statement. “Florida’s gas prices are likely to face continued upward pressure through the next month as the presence of winter residents and spring breakers contributes to strong fuel demand.”
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The national average price Monday was $3.26 a gallon, down 2 cents from a week earlier and up 16 cents from a month earlier.
AAA credited the stable prices over the past week, in part, to news that the BP-Whiting refinery that processes about 440,000 barrels of crude oil daily in Indiana will soon reopen after being offline since early February because of power issues.
But gas prices are expected to go up as refiners finish pre-summer maintenance ahead of producing an EPA-mandated summer blend of gasoline.
The summer blend is more expensive to produce than a winter blend. The Panama City and Pensacola areas had Florida’s lowest average prices Monday at $3.06 a gallon, while the West Palm Beach-Boca Raton area had the highest average at $3.49, according to AAA.
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