Gas Prices Rising in Metro Atlanta

That’s about a two-cent hike from last week.

However, things could increase much more between now and March.

“We’ve seen here in the Southeastern region that prices during  February typically can go up around 30 cents or so by the end of the month,” says AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins.

An audio version of this story.

There are two main reasons to blame for gas prices going up.

One is refinery maintenance, which results in less production.

The second is the annual switch to the summer fuel blend, which includes additives that lessen emissions.

“It has 1.7% more energy than the winter blend.  But the bad thing is for motorists, it’s a little more expensive for refiners to produce and that cost is typically passed on to motorists,” says Jenkins.

Despite the recent increase, gas in Georgia is still less expensive than the national average, which is $3.35.