Gas Prices Volatile Locally

By Benjamin Cox on November 9, 2021 at 5:54am

The gas pump price in Jacksonville is volatile all over town, as nationally the average price continues to creep up.

The average price for a gallon of gas in Jacksonville is currently $3.46. That’s four cents higher than the national average of $3.42 a gallon. Gas prices haven’t been this high in 7 years. The latest decision by OPEC and its oil-producing allies to maintain their planned gradual increase in output will not help lessen supply constraints, so any relief will most likely have to come from the demand side, according to AAA.

The prices locally and nationally are over 15 cents higher than a month ago. Despite the high prices locally, Jacksonville bests Springfield by a nickel, who sits at an average of $3.51 a gallon. Morgan and Scott Counties as whole are the best places to get gas in the region, with the rest of the listening area averaging above $3.50 a gallon.

By comparison, neighboring Missouri prices hover just above $3 a gallon. AAA says with daylight getting shorter, some demand may lower over the next few weeks. Energy Information Administration statistics say that demand rose across the country to 9.5 million barrels per day last week, so any lowering of demand or price is likely to be slow over the next few weeks.