The average price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Florida was $4.17 on Monday, up a nickel from a week earlier and 50 cents higher than a month ago, according to the AAA auto club.
But the average price was down 21 cents a gallon from a record high last month, partially because of a drop in the price of crude oil. AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said, however, that high gas prices do not appear to have changed people’s driving habits.
After the COVID-19 pandemic initially kept many people from going on vacation, he said people traveling are finding other ways to save money.
“We are not seeing gas prices have that big of an impact on people’s decision to travel,” Jenkins said. “It’s more or less just causing them to budget a little more for gas and maybe spending a little less on things like dining out and shopping.”
The most expensive gas in Florida continues to be in the South Florida markets of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach, while the least expensive gas is in the Panhandle markets of Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola, and Panama City.
“The beaches are still packed. The roads are still filled with cars,” Jenkins said. “I don’t think higher gas prices are having a big impact on deterring people from traveling.”
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