Sudden Surge in Gas Prices Stuns South Florida Drivers
South Florida drivers experienced sticker shock Friday as average gasoline prices jumped as much as 8 cents a gallon overnight.
The average per-gallon price of regular unleaded was $2.51 in Fort Lauderdale, according to AAA's daily fuel gauge report. That was 8 cents higher than Thursday and 14 cents more than a month ago.
In Palm Beach County, average prices stood at $2.55 a gallon Friday compared with $2.51 a day earlier and $2.46 last month.
This week's spike was tough to stomach for some drivers.
Angela Hudson, 33, said she's angry but not ready to trade her SUV for a smaller car.
"I'm not going to let them dictate what I should buy," said Hudson, who paid $2.82 a gallon for premium Friday at a Congress Avenue Shell station in Delray Beach.
"There's no need for the prices to be sky high. Your paycheck is not increasing, it's still the same," she said.
A forecast from the government's Energy Information Administration shows average prices nationwide will hit $2.57 a gallon in May.
"I don't expect prices to continue increasing at this rate," said Michael Burdette, senior analyst with the Energy Information Administration. "You'll see a run-up for a few weeks, then a drop back."
AAA spokesman Kevin Bakewell said, "Gas prices are definitely on the rise, but it's nowhere near record levels."
Prices topped $3 last fall before tumbling as prices of crude oil, the raw material for making gasoline, fell, and as gasoline supplies improved thanks to more refinery output in the hurricane-ravaged Gulf region and a flood of imports.
Oil industry experts point to a combination of factors for this week's spike -- nuclear concerns about Iran, tensions in other oil-producing hotspots like Nigeria and the start of the spring travel season when more people hit the road.
Another reason: A number of U.S. refineries thrust into overdrive after last year's hurricanes are now shut down for maintenance postponed from last fall.
SunSentinel
The average per-gallon price of regular unleaded was $2.51 in Fort Lauderdale, according to AAA's daily fuel gauge report. That was 8 cents higher than Thursday and 14 cents more than a month ago.
In Palm Beach County, average prices stood at $2.55 a gallon Friday compared with $2.51 a day earlier and $2.46 last month.
This week's spike was tough to stomach for some drivers.
Angela Hudson, 33, said she's angry but not ready to trade her SUV for a smaller car.
"I'm not going to let them dictate what I should buy," said Hudson, who paid $2.82 a gallon for premium Friday at a Congress Avenue Shell station in Delray Beach.
"There's no need for the prices to be sky high. Your paycheck is not increasing, it's still the same," she said.
A forecast from the government's Energy Information Administration shows average prices nationwide will hit $2.57 a gallon in May.
"I don't expect prices to continue increasing at this rate," said Michael Burdette, senior analyst with the Energy Information Administration. "You'll see a run-up for a few weeks, then a drop back."
AAA spokesman Kevin Bakewell said, "Gas prices are definitely on the rise, but it's nowhere near record levels."
Prices topped $3 last fall before tumbling as prices of crude oil, the raw material for making gasoline, fell, and as gasoline supplies improved thanks to more refinery output in the hurricane-ravaged Gulf region and a flood of imports.
Oil industry experts point to a combination of factors for this week's spike -- nuclear concerns about Iran, tensions in other oil-producing hotspots like Nigeria and the start of the spring travel season when more people hit the road.
Another reason: A number of U.S. refineries thrust into overdrive after last year's hurricanes are now shut down for maintenance postponed from last fall.
SunSentinel
posted by Ottawa Gas Prices | 11:48 PM
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