COLUMBUS, Ohio – Central Ohio drivers are seeing the cost of gas creep upward for the third week in a row.
A gallon of regular gas was averaging $2.54 in Columbus in Monday’s survey from auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and WEX Inc. That’s up 12 cents compared with a week ago but remains significantly cheaper than a year ago. At this time last year, motorists were paying an average of $3.81.
Oil industry analyst Trilby Lundberg says higher crude oil prices, combine with the switch over to summer-blend gasoline, caused the run-up at the pump. She predicts they could climb by a few more pennies as gasoline prices catch up to oil prices.
Ohio’s average price of $2.50 was up 9 cents, slightly below the national average Monday, which was about $2.54 per gallon. That’s up 8 cents from a week ago, but it is $1.16 cheaper than a year ago.