ORLANDO, Fla. \u2014 Central Florida drivers are again paying more than $4 a gallon at the pump, as rising oil prices push gasoline costs higher across the state.<\/p>\n
The average price for regular unleaded gas in the Orlando metro area was $4.15 a gallon as of Monday, according to AAA. That is up about 31 cents from a week ago, when the metro average stood at $3.85 a gallon.<\/p>\n
For a driver filling a 15-gallon tank, the Orlando-area average works out to about $62.29 \u2014 roughly $4.59 more than it would have cost at last week\u2019s average price.<\/p>\n
The Orlando average is slightly above Florida\u2019s statewide price of $4.14 a gallon. Across other parts of Central Florida, the average price for regular gas was about $4.17 in Daytona Beach, $4.10 in the Melbourne-Titusville area and $4.12 in Lakeland-Winter Haven, AAA data shows.<\/p>\n
AAA said Florida\u2019s statewide average moved above $4 a gallon for the first time since June 1. The group attributed the latest increase to higher crude-oil prices after tensions in the Middle East intensified, increasing the cost to produce gasoline.<\/p>\n
Florida\u2019s average gas price was 23 cents higher than a week earlier, 19 cents higher than a month ago and $1.18 higher than a year ago, according to AAA.<\/p>\n
AAA said Florida\u2019s regular-gas average could reach as high as $4.19 a gallon if oil prices remain elevated. The organization also noted that Florida\u2019s routine price-cycling pattern \u2014 in which prices commonly rise early in the week and ease later \u2014 may continue to add volatility for drivers.<\/p>\n
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