AAA: Florida gas prices lowest since February

Floridians and summer visitors will be pleasantly surprised when they go to fill up the gas tank this week. Gas prices are the lowest in several months because of weakness in the oil and gasoline futures markets.”

Mark Jenkins, AAA

Florida gas prices are now the lowest since February. The state average has steadily declined the past 17 consecutive day - dropping a total of 25 cents, during that time.

At first, gas prices gradually declined about 1-cent per day for about a week. Then discounts accelerated, dropping 19 cents in the past nine days.

Sunday's state average was $3.30 per gallon. That's the lowest daily average price since February 28th. Visit GasPrices.AAA.com for updated state and local average gas prices.

Florida's average gas price is now 15 cents less than a week ago, 22 cents less than a month ago, and 9 cents less than this time last year.

"Floridians and summer visitors will be pleasantly surprised when they go to fill up the gas tank this week," said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA - The Auto Club Group. "Gas prices are the lowest in several months because of weakness in the oil and gasoline futures markets."

Through most of March and April, U.S. oil prices ranged from $80-85 per barrel. However, during the past three weeks, crude prices dropped a total of 6 percent. Friday's closing price was $75.53 per barrel - down almost $5/b from three weeks ago. 

Oil analysts at OPIS attribute the weakness in the petroleum markets to a stronger dollar and better-than-expected U.S. employment data, which raised concerns that the Federal Reserve could delay an interest rate cut. The market believes this would stall fuel demand growth. Additionally, analysts attribute oil price losses to the recent agreement between OPEC and its allies to gradually relax some voluntary output cuts later this year. Doing so could strengthen global fuel supplies.

Apopka Gas Prices

From gasbuddy.com

Regional Prices

• Most expensive metro markets – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton ($3.52), Naples ($3.42), Miami ($3.39)
• Least expensive metro markets – Crestview-Fort Walton Beach ($3.08), Panama City ($3.11), Pensacola ($3.13)

Ways to Save on Gasoline

• Combine errands to limit driving time.
• Shop around for the best gas prices in your community. 
• Pay with cash. Some retailers charge extra per gallon for customers who pay with a credit card.
• Remove excess weight in your vehicle. Every 100 pounds taken out of the vehicle improves fuel economy by 1-2 percent.
• Drive conservatively. Aggressive acceleration and speeding reduces fuel economy.

AAA Resources for Drivers

• Enroll in savings programs. AAA Members who enroll in Shell's Fuel Rewards program can save 30 cents per gallon on their first fill-up and 5 cents per gallon each additional trip to the pump. Click here for more information.
• Get a tune-up. Ensure your vehicle is properly maintained to optimize its fuel economy. Visit AAA.com/AutoRepair to find a certified repair shop.
• Find the lowest gas prices in your area by using the free AAA mobile app.
• Determine anticipated fuel costs for your trip by using the AAA's Gas Cost Calculator.

Find Florida Gas Prices

• Daily gas price averages can be found at Gasprices.aaa.com 
• State and metro averages can be found here

	Sunday	Saturday	Week Ago	Month Ago	One Year Ago
National	$3.45	$3.46	$3.54	$3.64	$3.58
Florida	$3.30	$3.31	$3.45	$3.52	$3.39
Georgia	$3.29	$3.30	$3.37	$3.44	$3.28
Click here to view current gasoline price averages

Gas Price Survey Methodology
AAA updates fuel price averages daily at www.GasPrices.AAA.com. Every day up to 130,000 stations are surveyed based on credit card swipes and direct feeds in cooperation with the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) and Wright Express for unmatched statistical reliability. All average retail prices in this report are for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline.