ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For everyone who has been stressing about gas prices over the past couple of months, relief seems to be slowly but surely on its way to the Sunshine State.
AAA is reporting current average gas prices for Florida at $4.26 compared to a month ago when it was $4.83. The highest recorded average price was back in June when regular unleaded gas was running for $4.89.
In some Tampa Bay-area cities, drivers should be seeing a gradual decrease in the amount of money they're coughing up for a tank of gas. A chart from GasBuddy showing the decreasing average retail price over a month in Tampa and Sarasota is an almost perfect diagonal line.
Over just 30 days, the price dropped from over $4.70 to around $4.20.
AAA is also reporting a large drop in regular gas prices from a month ago for cities in the Bay area.
Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice
Current average: $4.22
Month ago average: $4.84
The highest recorded average price for this area was $4.89 on June 13.
Lakeland-Winter Haven
Current average: $4.22
Month ago average: $4.84
The highest recorded average price for this area was $4.890 on June 14.
Sebring
Current average: $4.07
Month ago average: $4.78
The highest recorded average price for this area was $4.92 on June 13.
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater
Current average: $4.21
Month ago average: $4.84
The highest recorded average price for this area was $4.90 on June 13.
And this same relief is being felt not only in Florida — the national average for a gallon of gas fell 15 cents since last week, AAA explains. The organization says the decline is because of lower domestic demand for gas at the pump and a much lower global price for oil.
“Global economic headwinds are pushing oil prices lower and less expensive oil leads to lower pump prices,” AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in a statement. “And here at home, people are fueling up less, despite this being the height of the traditional summer driving season.
"These two key factors are behind the recent drop in pump prices.”
CBS News says there are some ways to save on gas, including:
- Combine errands to limit driving time.
- Shop around for the best gas prices in your community.
- Pay with cash. Some retailers charge extra per gallon for customers who pay with a credit card.
- Remove excess weight in your vehicle. Every 100 pounds taken out of the vehicle improves fuel economy by 1-2 percent.
- Drive conservatively. Aggressive acceleration and speeding reduce fuel economy.
