By Staff Report
Gas prices in Florida rose an average of 24 cents in the past week, climbing past the $4 mark as the conflict in Iran continues to rattle global oil markets.
The average price for a gallon of gas in Florida was $4.19 on Monday, according to AAA — $1.30 higher than Feb. 28, when the U.S. and Israel began attacks inside Iran.
GasBuddy forecast further increases this week, with the largest spikes expected in the Plains, Great Lakes and parts of the Rockies.
Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said during the “Over A Barrel” podcast on Sunday that rising fuel costs are already affecting summer spending plans.
“People still want to travel. They’re just going to cut additional spending elsewhere,” De Haan said. “They’ll stay at a cheaper hotel. They won’t go out to eat. They might not do Putt-Putt or movies. So, I don’t think people are going to give up on those choices yet. But the longer this goes and the more prices go up, people are going to make those tough decisions, and that is what most people will remember when they go to the polls in November.”
Gas prices across Florida ranged from $3.90 a gallon in Escambia County to $4.48 a gallon in Monroe County.
The average was $4.23 a gallon in Orange County and $4.21 in Duval County.
Nationally, the average price was $4.12 on Monday, up 13 cents from a week earlier and $1.14 higher than Feb. 28.
Diesel in Florida averaged $5.81 a gallon on Monday, up 19 cents from a week earlier and $1.35 higher than a month ago. The national average for diesel was $5.62.
For electric vehicles, the average cost at Florida charging stations was about 41 cents per kilowatt-hour this past week, up from 39 cents on Feb. 28. The national average was about 42 cents, compared to 39 cents on Feb. 28.
AMBER PATINO 
Ali Moreland