Gasoline prices in Florida and western Kentucky have experienced recent increases. In Florida, the average gas price on July 4th was $3.53 per gallon, which is 18 cents higher than the previous week and 27 cents higher than the price on Independence Day last year. The rise in gas prices in Florida is attributed to concerns about Tropical Storm Beryl and economic data suggesting that the U.S. Federal Reserve could lower interest rates to boost growth. While Tropical Storm Beryl is not expected to cause significant disruptions to U.S. offshore oil-and-gas production, the full impact on the fuel supply chain and prices will not be realized until several days after the storm passes [9811fb71].
In western Kentucky, gas prices have also increased slightly. The average gas price in western Kentucky is $3.264 per gallon, which is almost the same as one year ago. The increase in gas prices in western Kentucky is attributed to the remnants of Hurricane Beryl, the busy 4th of July travel season, and high oil prices. The cheapest gas prices in select western Kentucky cities are: Bowling Green ($3.202), Elizabethtown ($3.294), Louisville ($3.587), Owensboro ($3.013), and Paducah ($3.224) [cae0813d].
AAA East Central provides gas price reports and is a not-for-profit association serving 2.7 million members in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The national average gas price is $3.52 per gallon, which is seven cents higher than a month ago but four cents lower than a year ago [cae0813d].
To save on gasoline, drivers in both Florida and western Kentucky can limit their driving time, pay with cash, remove unnecessary weight from their vehicles, and avoid aggressive acceleration and speeding. AAA offers resources for drivers, such as enrollment in savings programs and finding the lowest gas prices in the area [9811fb71].