ORLANDO, Fla. – Drivers are seeing a big spike in gas prices as millions of Floridians are hitting the road over the next week for holiday travel.
According to AAA, Florida’s average for a gallon of gas is $3.12. The cost is 26 cents higher than a week earlier when the state saw its lowest daily average price since June 2021.
Analysts with AAA said robust gas demand and elevated oil prices have jolted pump prices as the U.S. has entered winter.
James Harris was filling up his tank in Orlando Tuesday when he noticed the higher cost.
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“It hurts. Oh, most definitely you can feel it,” Harris said. “We’re in a crunch here between gas prices, inflation and everything.”
Glenn Kirk, who was also filling-up, said the price increase could force him to make adjustments with his small business.
“We operate a fleet of about 13 diesel trucks on the road. It affects it by about a few thousand dollars a month,” Kirk said. “There’s no way to compensate for that price right away, so we absorb that hit for a while until we can increase prices.”
Earlier this month, AAA predicted a record 6.6 million Floridians will travel 50 miles or more from home for the holidays.
With drivers continuing to head to holiday destinations, analysts expect pump prices to fluctuate slightly during the heavy travel season.
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