Pain at the pump; gas prices edge close to $4 a gallon in Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — We’re once again feeling pain at the pump. Gas prices have increased to nearly four dollars a gallon in Jacksonville.

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Drivers are frustrated.

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“I think it’s ridiculous,” Jimmie Gaines said.

AAA spokesperson, Mark Jenkins, says in the past two weeks gas prices have shot up about 30 cents.

“We’re now paying the highest gas prices you’re in for that we’ve seen since this time last year,” Jenkins said.

Florida is slightly above the national average at $3.84 a gallon of regular unleaded gas. Here in Jacksonville, we are averaging at $3.85. The highest recorded average in Jacksonville was $4.88 in June of 2022.

“We the customer, are feeling it in our pocketbooks,” Gaines said.

A jump in crude oil prices is one of the main reasons for the massive spike in prices. Jenkins says its limited supply created a 15-percent jump in oil prices compared to last month.

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“Globally, the oil market has tightened after OPEC announced additional oil production cuts so there’s less oil in the market,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins adds the extreme heat is another factor causing refinery outages. But he adds hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico are the wildcard that could impact us.

“It threatens the refineries along the Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi coastlines,” Jenkins said. “So if those refineries are impacted, then our prices here will be directly impacted at the pump.”

Usually, gas prices are an indicator of where our economy is headed.

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“Oftentimes, you know, when gas prices are high, that causes a domino effect, which can contribute to higher prices down the line,” Jenkins said.

But Jenkins says, he expects to see relief at the pump, soon.

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To save on gas, Jenkins advises drivers to keep their vehicles properly maintained, drive carefully, and take advantage of reward programs.