Driving to work, school is costing you more and more

Gas prices continue to climb in the Bradenton-Sarasota area, if only slightly, as we move closer to the holiday travel season.

The average price on Monday in the area was $2.15 per gallon for regular unleaded, up from $2.14 a week earlier, according to AAA.

The rising costs come as the price of oil is at an 18-month high after OPEC and other major oil-producing countries joined forces to reduce output to try to tackle global oversupply.

For context, the average price in the Bradenton-Sarasota area this time a year ago was $1.99.

According to a survey of nearly 308 area stations by GasBuddy.com, Manatee County stations were averaging $2.14 per gallon on Monday, up from $2.12 during the past week. Sarasota County pumps were at $2.19, up from $2.17.

Nearby, the average in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater was at $2.13, up from $2.12 a week earlier. Statewide, the average was $2.22, a seven-day jump from $2.19.

The national average was $2.21, three cents more than a week earlier.

This story was originally published December 12, 2016 at 10:09 AM with the headline "Driving to work, school is costing you more and more."