Georgia gasoline prices took a big jump over the past week.

According to the weekly press release from Montrae Waiters the spokeswoman for AAA – The Auto Club Group, Georgia drivers are now paying an average of $3.20 per gallon, seven cents more than last Monday.

“Georgia motorists saw a jump at the pump this weekend,” said Waiters. “The probable cause for the increase appears to be the rise in crude oil prices, and the possibility of war in the Ukraine. Georgians should anticipate gas prices to continue to rise, especially by the spring driving season.”

Prices in Cobb County

The price of a gallon of regular unleaded in Cobb County is $3.225 at the time of this writing, about 3 cents more expensive than the statewide average.

It is always possible to find lower gas prices than the average by comparison shopping or using tools like http://gasbuddy.com.

What are the national trends?

AAA’s weekly report stated the following about national gas and oil trends:

Since last Monday, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline increased 4 cents. According to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA), gasoline demand rose slightly from 8.22 million barrels a day to 8.51 million barrels a day last week. The increase puts gas demand in a typical range for the winter driving season. Continued growth in the price of crude oil has aided in keeping pump prices elevated. If crude prices continue to climb, pump prices will likely follow suit.

How does AAA determine gas prices?

According to AAA:

AAA updates fuel price averages daily at www.GasPrices.AAA.com. Every day up to 130,000 stations are surveyed based on credit card swipes and direct feeds in cooperation with the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) and Wright Express for unmatched statistical reliability. All average retail prices in this report are for a gallon of regular, unleaded gasoline.