Summer blend, not BP spill, causing gas-price spike

A rapid spike in gasoline prices this week has nothing to do with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, experts say.

But that could change in the near future.

"We're really not seeing prices increase right now as a result of the spill. But that doesn't mean we won't," said Beth Mosher, a spokeswoman for AAA in Aurora.

In the short term, the more than 200,000 gallons of crude oil spilling into the Gulf each day from a collapsed BP rig isn't affecting prices at the pump, but a prolonged problem out there could affect prices in the future, experts agree.

"There's just no way to say," Mosher said. She added that it's possible other parts of the country may be affected more than the Midwest as a result of the Gulf of Mexico situation.

Regardless of the oil spill, consumers are paying more to fill up.

Over the last week, pump prices saw their biggest jump in more than a month, according to the Energy Departments' weekly survey. Monday night into Tuesday some suburban stations raised prices nearly 15 cents a gallon to as much as $3.20 a gallon.

Experts say the recent increases in Illinois are mainly a result of the switch to a summer blend of gasoline.

"It's a cleaner-burning fuel mandated in the state of Illinois," Mosher said.

Demand also plays a role.

"This is the time of year we see prices rise because of demand and the fuel switch-over," she added.

In Illinois, the average price per gallon is $3.06, according to AAA. The national average of $2.89 a gallon is 82 cents higher than it was a year earlier.

AAA's Fuel Gauge Reports daily averages for the Chicago area show a gallon of regular gasoline cost $3.05 on Monday, compared to $2.28 on the same day last year.

Experts also blame high demand along with the amount of gasoline taxes Chicago-area consumers pay for higher local gas prices.