‘Price cycling’ has Miami Valley gas prices jumping up, down and up again

Some area gas prices jumped as much as 50 cents a gallon from Tuesday to Wednesday evening and it’s because of “price cycling.”

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News Center 7′s Mason Fletcher spent the day tracking gas prices and driver reaction.

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“Price cycling” occurs when gas stations raise prices after a dropping them quickly, to avoid losing money, Gas Buddy tells News Center 7.

If you bought gas Tuesday, the average price in Dayton was $2.77, a jump of 16 cents overnight, according to AAA.

Wednesday morning, the price came in at $2.93.

In Xenia on Wednesday afternoon, the price was $3.19 at a Speedway. At a BP across the street, the price was a penny lower.

All in all, area gas prices are down nearly 40 cents from a month ago, and nearly 70 cents from a year ago.

Nevertheless, some drivers are not happy about the up-and-down pricing.

“Especially with the way the, you know, grocery prices and everything are right now,” said Flory Johnson of Xenia. “It’s hard to see. They keep promising that it’s going to come down.”

There is good news in the offing. According to Gas Buddy, Dayton area gas prices are expected to fall again by this weekend.

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