Gas prices in Florida have been going up and down a lot lately. One week they’re cheaper, the next they’re more expensive again. This back-and-forth has been happening for months, and many drivers are wondering why. Here’s a clear explanation of what’s happening, how much gas costs in different parts of Florida, and what experts are saying. So, let’s get started!
Why is gas in Florida going up again?
In Florida, gas prices are acting like a rollercoaster: they go up, then down, then up again, and so on. Two weeks ago, the price went up a lot. Last week, it went down. But this week, it went back up again, and a lot: in some parts of Florida, like Miami, the price went up 15 cents per gallon in just one week.
An expert from AAA (an organization that helps drivers) named Mark Jenkins explained that this behavior is not new. He says that for almost a year prices have been doing the same thing: they go down for about 10 days and then go back up again. This keeps repeating.
He also explained that since the prices of oil and gasoline haven’t changed much in the market, they don’t expect prices to go way up or way down overall. But they do think prices will keep bouncing within the same range, like they’re just bouncing back and forth.
How much does gas cost in different cities in Florida?
Here are the average prices (more or less what it costs in most places) of gas in some Florida cities, according to data from Monday, July 21. Let’s talk about South Florida and other cities in the state!
We are going to start with places in South Florida:
- Miami-Dade: $3.07 per gallon. It went up 15 cents in one week.
- The cheapest is $2.69.
- The most expensive is $4.39.
- Fort Lauderdale: $3.08 per gallon. Also went up 15 cents.
- West Palm Beach / Boca Raton: $3.22 per gallon. Went up 13 cents.
Now, let’s continue with what’s happening in other cities in the state:
- Naples (one of the most expensive): $3.14
- Tampa / St. Pete: $3.07
- Gainesville: $3.12
- Bradenton / Sarasota: $3.04
- Orlando: $3.05
- Daytona Beach: $3.05
- Fort Myers: $3.06
- Jacksonville: $3.07
- Lakeland: $3.07
- Port St. Lucie: $3.06
- Space Coast: $3.04
- Villages: $3.09
- Tallahassee: $2.97
- Panama City: $2.90
- Pensacola: $2.91
Finally, let’s see what’s the averages in Florida an the U.S.:
- Florida average: $3.06 per gallon (up 13 cents from last week).
- United States average: $3.14 per gallon (hasn’t changed much in the last week).
Prices in Florida vs. in other states?
An expert from the GasBuddy app, named Patrick De Haan, said that even though the national gas price dropped a little bit (because oil dropped $2 per barrel), Florida was one of the few states where it went up a lot, along with Nebraska and Indiana.
This happens because of something called a “price cycle.” It’s when gas prices go up a lot and then drop quickly every few weeks, even if the price of oil doesn’t change. It’s like a repeating pattern in some places.
De Haan thinks that there won’t be big changes in the national price in August, but that Florida will keep having strong ups and downs, while other states will have more stable prices.
How to find cheap gas near you
There’s an app called GasBuddy that helps you find gas stations with the lowest prices near you. It can also let you know if a station has run out of gas.
I know the solution should be an app to look for the cheapest prices, but for now is the only solution drivers have if they want to save some money. What do you think about this situation?