With 2.3 million Floridians ready to hit the road for Thanksgiving and Orlando the top destination in the nation for the holiday, gas prices should drop in the Sunshine State in the days to come.
AAA released a study on Monday showing gas prices slipped three cents over the past four days in Florida. On Sunday, Floridians paid an average of $2.50 per gallon, down from $2.53 at the start of last week. That’s below the national average which stood at $2.54 per gallon on Sunday, down from $2.56 the week before.
Mark Jenkins, a spokesman for AAA and the Auto Club Group, said Florida drivers should expect a slight drop in gas prices in the coming days.
"Gas prices should decline 5-10 cents through Thanksgiving weekend," Jenkins said on Monday. "Although gasoline demand will be high this week, it will be cheaper for gas stations to purchase their fuel than a week ago. Since retailers profit more off of concessions in their convenience stores than the sale of gasoline, they will be more likely to lower gas prices as a way to attract passing motorists.
"Some of the lowest prices will be in areas where multiple gas stations are within close proximity of each other, leading to higher competition," Jenkins added. “Oftentimes gas stations wait until Friday to lower their prices, in hopes that managers are rival stations are not paying attention, or gone for the weekend. Some of the highest prices are often at gas stations in rural areas, near airports, and at interstate on/off ramps."
On the national level, gas prices have fluctuated from a high of $2.67 per gallon in September to a low of $2.23 per gallon in July. In Florida, the highest average price was in September when the state was impacted by hurricanes and gas stood at $2.73 per gallon. The lowest average in Florida was in July when prices stood at $2.13 per gallon.
READ MORE FROM SUNSHINE STATE NEWS
Americans Get Ready to Hit the Road for Thanksgiving--and Florida's Poised to Benefit
With Crude Oil Prices Rising, Florida Drivers Paying More for Gas
