Average gas price in Florida back on the rise

Average gasoline prices in Florida continue on a rollercoaster, landing 5 cents higher Monday from a week earlier.

The AAA auto club said Florida motorists paid an average of $3.02 a gallon Monday, up from $2.97 a week earlier and continuing a trend of up-and-down price changes.

"Since the fuel market has been stable, retailers are constantly adjusting prices to attract customers," AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said in a prepared statement. "But once those prices fall below a profitable margin, stations raise them again, and the cycle repeats."

Nationally, motorists paid an average of $3.13 a gallon Monday, virtually the same as a week earlier.

AAA said prices drop in the fall "as demand drops and gas stations make the switch to winter-blend gasoline, which is cheaper to produce."