Gasoline prices went down in Florida last week. But that could change amid increased demand as the Gulf Coast braces for a powerful hurricane and as the state addresses a fuel-contamination problem in some areas.
With what is expected to become Hurricane Idalia headed toward the Gulf Coast, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services released a list late Sunday of 29 stations — mostly in the Tampa region and Southwest Florida — that likely received contaminated gas supplied by Citgo. The contamination was caused by “human error” at the Port of Tampa, according to the department.
The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded Monday in Florida was $3.70, down 11 cents from a week earlier. The national average price Monday was $3.82, down a nickel from a week earlier.
“Although the national average did a U-turn this week, the road ahead could lead to higher prices,” AAA spokesman Andrew Gross said in a prepared statement. “Ongoing concerns regarding potential storm activity could hinder falling pump prices this fall.”
Data from the Energy Information Administration showed demand for gas jumped 0.7% last week, which was offset by a slight increase in the overall domestic gasoline stock.
Meanwhile, trading in oil continues to hover around $80 a barrel, a price that could go lower as concerns about an economic slowdown in China, the world’s largest importer of crude oil, could push global demand down.
Florida’s average price Monday was 2 cents higher than a month ago and 9 cents higher than a year ago.
