MIAMI – Gas prices in Florida rose 7 cents last week but then fell over the weekend.
On Sunday, the state average was $3.31 per gallon. That’s 2 cents less than last week, 12 cents less than a month ago, according to AAA. It’s also 33 cents below this year’s high of $3.64 per gallon.
So what caused the initial spike last week? The price of crude continues to influence prices at the pump.
“Oil prices increased early last week on renewed optimism about the U.S. economy, after a July domestic consumer spending report was better than analysts expected. By the end of the week, however, weak economic data from China caused oil prices to soften,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins.
Gas prices in Miami-Dade and Broward
On Monday, the average in Miami-Dade was $3.33 a gallon, down a penny from a week ago. Broward’s average was $3.34 a gallon, down from $3.35 a week ago.
The most expensive cities in the state for gas are West Palm Beach, Naples, and Gainesville. The cheapest places for gas are all in the panhandle.
Oil prices
The U.S. price of crude initially jumped to $80 a barrel, but finished the week flat, according to AAA. Friday’s closing price of $76.65 per barrel was 19 cents less than the week before. Gasoline futures were also down 8 cents per gallon.