FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) —Gas prices in Florida have surged over a dollar per gallon since the conflict in Iran began. A month ago, drivers were paying around $2.88 per gallon, but now the average price has jumped to $3.93.
Alex Alejos, a local driver, said, “It just, it’s tough. Well, it’s tough. They got to do something.” Many drivers are only filling up their tanks halfway or less to stretch their budgets.
Flor Diaz, another driver, shared, “I don’t want to go outside. They’re gonna kill my pockets. But, I mean, I have to do it. I don’t have any other way to do it.”
AAA representative Mark Jenkins explained that the conflict in Iran has caused significant concern in the oil market, leading to a series of price jumps. “We saw a series of Big Oil jumps in previous weeks, which already caused higher gas prices, but there was another increase in crude oil prices late last week, and that’s triggered another round of gas price jumps here this week,” said Jenkins.
In Fort Myers, prices average around $3.97, while Naples is becoming one of the most expensive places to fill up in Florida at over $4 a gallon. Jenkins noted, “The fluctuations there in prices at the pump can vary based on a city’s location and proximity to the ports where gasoline shipments are made and delivered.”
Drivers are hoping for financial relief soon. Alejos expressed concern for those struggling to make ends meet, saying, “I feel sorry for the people that are struggling. Put food on the table, and they got to drive to work and spend this kind of money. It just, it’s tough.”