Florida Average Gas Prices Soar to Record Highs
May 16, 2022 Updated 12:51 P.M. ET
FORT MYERS (FLV) – The average cost of gas in Florida set a record high for the state at $4.49 per gallon. In the past week, the price of gas soared by nearly 30 cents in Florida.
The cost is even higher in other counties like Palm Beach County where their average is at $4.63 and Collier County at $4.52.
Florida’s average barely surpasses the national average for gas which is $4.83. A year ago, the average price of gas in Florida was $2.89.
Nearly every state, except for three, have gas averages above $4 per gallon. AAA said the increase is primarily due to the high cost of crude oil, which is hovering near $110 a barrel.
“The high cost of oil, the key ingredient in gasoline, is driving these high pump prices for consumers,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “Even the annual seasonal demand dip for gasoline during the lull between spring break and Memorial Day, which would normally help lower prices, is having no effect this year.”
Earlier this month, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the largest tax relief package in Florida’s history, which includes a cut on the gas tax.
A Florida gas tax holiday goes into effect on October 1st, reducing the tax by $0.25 per gallon.
DeSantis said in early May that President Joe Biden “doesn’t care” about Americans “struggling” to pay at the pump as the Biden administration canceled oil and gas lease sales.
“Americans are struggling with record gas prices – up over 50% since Biden took office – but he doesn’t care. Rather than expand domestic energy production, he continues to reduce U.S. production capacity (increasing our reliance on foreign oil) by canceling our oil & gas leases,” DeSantis said on Twitter.
