COLUMBUS, Ohio – Central Ohio motorists are feeling a tighter squeeze at the gas pump than drivers in most of the rest of the nation.
The cost for a gallon of regular gas in Columbus was averaging $3.58 in Monday’s survey from auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and WEX Inc. That’s the result of a 22-cent leap since Saturday and is 11 cents higher than a week ago, 26 cents higher than a month ago.
The average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline rose 12 cents during the past two weeks, according to the Lundberg survey released Sunday.
Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg cited changes in the price of crude oil because of violence in the petroleum-producing nations of Venezuela and South Sudan.
The AAA says weather-related transportation delays and the slowdown of refining in preparation for the yearly switch to summer-blend gasoline has caused the price to rise higher faster in Ohio and many other midwestern states.
The statewide average was $3.53, 9 cents higher than last Monday — and 24 cents higher than a month ago.
While the Ohio average is 18 cents lower than at the same time last year, the price in Columbus is only 9 cents lower.
The national average is about $3.42 per gallon, which is up 6 cents from last week and 13 cents higher than a month ago.