Gas prices in Florida highest in seven years

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Gas prices in Florida are the highest they’ve been since November of 2014, according to the AAA - Auto Club South.

Richard Gilliard, a driver in Jacksonville, has definitely noticed.

“It affects us tremendously because we have multiple trucks, and I can’t even fill the whole truck up,” he said.

Gilliard drives for work installing pool enclosures, but he plans his trips carefully.

MORE FLORIDA NEWS: Gov. DeSantis requiring moment of silence each school day

“I can only come here and I have to like right now, I was going to St. Johns, and I can’t go there and get gas because it’s too high,” he pointed out. Gilliard added, he can’t afford to travel at all if it’s not for work.

“You can’t go everywhere even though everything’s open right now,” Gillard said.

But Mark Jenkins, a spokesperson with AAA, says other travelers are taking advantage of places reopening.

“More people on the road, more people traveling, and just overall expectations of increased demand on a global scale,” Jenkins explained. And that’s driving up prices.

“Now, we’re seeing demand come back at a pace that is really, quite frankly, outpacing that crude oil production level,” he emphasized.

Last year in Jacksonville, the average price for regular gasoline was $1.99. Now, it is $2.93.

For diesel fuel, it was $2.31 and now it’s now $3.08.

You can track gas prices throughout Florida on AAA’s website.

GEORGIA NEWS: Cashier shot, killed in mask dispute; suspect and deputy wounded

But, this increase could level out in the coming months.

“We might see these gas prices hang around through the summer, and then potentially decline in the fall and winter months,” Jenkins said, citing a projection from the Energy Information Administration.

Jenkins added, weekly projections also indicate there likely won’t be another increase soon.

“We haven’t seen crude oil prices increase that much this past week,” he said. “So we don’t anticipate another spike in the near future. But things can always change on a weekly basis.”

Gilliard is getting by for now.

“[I’m] spreading out the budget, and I have to do gas every other day for the vehicle,” he said.

But he’s optimistic for a change.

“I’m hoping that the prices do drop and things get better,” he added.

©2021 Cox Media Group