Prices at the pump increased steadily last week, and Gainesville motorists’ wallets are feeling the rise in the cost per gallon.
The average price of gas in Florida this week is $3.78, which is a 14-cent increase from last week, according to a Feb. 17 AAA fuel price brief.
Prices will not noticeably decrease until after summer, said Sue Boate of AAA at 1201 NW 13th St.
For the first time this year, the average gas prices for Florida, Georgia and Tennessee are higher than last year.
The spike in prices can be attributed to many factors, she said.
The recent snowstorm in the Northeast led to a high need for heating oil.
Along with that, refineries are switching to the summer blends of fuel, which causes the output to decrease and fuel to become more costly.
In addition, the wholesale crude oil price is steadily increasing, so that price jump is being passed on to motorists.
While prices are expected to increase again this week, it is unlikely they will rise another 20 cents, Boate said.
According to the Energy Information Administration, the national average is expected to peak at about $3.85, which is not record-breaking, assuming catastrophes don’t occur.
AAA Consumer Pulse surveys reflect that consumers begin to alter their spending habits when gas reaches $3.75 a gallon.
This also holds true for Gainesville residents as they cut their spending.
Higher gas prices have caused Chris Chambless to go out less in order to save money, the 23-year-old Gainesville resident said as he filled up his white Jeep Liberty at the Kangaroo Express on Southwest 13th Street and West University Avenue Tuesday.
“It’s pretty boring not doing much because you know you have to pay so much for gas,” he said.
Exotic bird breeder Tom Lucas, a 44-year-old from Branford, agreed and said he too is feeling the consequence of high gas prices.
To save money, Lucas said he consolidates his trips.
“If I need a luxury item, and it’s a far distance, I choose not to go get it,” he said.
To save money on gas, AAA recommends motorists maintain their cars through basic procedures such as oil and filter changes, which could increase fuel efficiency by 10 percent.
Janet Blakney, a 59-year-old Regional Transit System bus driver, pays $3.95 a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline at the Citgo at the corner of North Main Street and Northeast Eighth Avenue.
