Tampa, Fla.-(Newsradio WFLA)-We're paying more to fill up the tank around here. AAA says Florida gasoline prices jumped up by 14 cents in the past week, for a combined total increase of a quarter in ten days.
The average price for a gallon of regular gas here is now up to nearly $2.50. The increase puts Florida tenth among states with the most expensive gas prices in the nation.
The auto club says gas prices averaged $2.29 per gallon in Florida during the month of February. That monthly average is 10 cents more than in January of this year.
AAA Tampa's Mark Jenkins says you can blame the price hike on refinery maintenance along the Gulf Coast and the switch to the more expensive summer-blend gasoline. Jenkins forecasts that prices will peak near $2.75 a gallon by Memorial Day.
Graphic courtesy AAA