The News Service of Florida
Just ahead of the midterm election, the average gallon of gas in Florida slipped under $4.
Last Thursday, the average went under the $4 mark for the first time since Sept. 8. A continued weekend decline brought the mark to $3.86 on Monday, the lowest since Aug. 23.
AAA has noted that prices are decreasing as refineries and fuel stations switch to winter-blend gasoline. Cheaper and less energy-efficient than the summer blend, the winter blend helps with engine ignition during colder temperatures.
But global issues have kept crude oil prices high and offset the possibility of sharper decreases from the winter blend conversion.
Floridians have been paying an average of $3.99 since the start of March, when pump prices first spiked from $2.88 a gallon after the U.S. and Israel jointly attacked Iran. In response, Iran attempted to block oil tankers from going through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for much of the global oil supply.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump said negotiations with Tehran continue but the U.S. still has targets to take out.
Nationally, the average gallon of gas stood at $4.17 on Monday.
Diesel was at $5.98 in Florida on Monday, while nationally it was at $6.29.
Diesel in Florida has been around the $6 mark since early September and over $5 a gallon since mid-July.
A year ago, motorists were paying an average of $2.98 a gallon for gas in Florida and $3.65 for diesel.
Led by a $3.60 average in Escambia County, the lowest prices are offered on the western Panhandle and the Gulf Coast on the south side of Tampa Bay.
The highest averages continue to be found in portions of the Big Bend and across South Florida, with the Florida Keys at the state high of $4.14 a gallon. Rural Washington and Holmes counties, which experienced some of the biggest spikes after Hurricane Isaias raced through the region on Oct. 9, also continue to have averages 20- to 30-cents higher than their Panhandle neighbors.
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