Gas tops 3 bucks per gallon in Del.

The average price for a gallon of gas in Delaware has reached the $3 mark for the first time in more than two years.

Statewide, the cost of regular unleaded gas is $3.01, 42 cents higher than this time last year. It’s the first time prices in Delaware have been this high since they were $3.02 in October of 2008.

Lloyd Harris, filling up in Wilmington Monday at $3.08 per gallon had one word to describe the situation: “Expensive.”

But, he added, there’s not much you can do.

“I can’t complain about it cause I’ve got to get to work,” he said. “Unless you can live without a car you don’t have much of a choice. If it’s gonna be five dollars a gallon you’ve got to pay it.”

Since December 1st, the average gas price in Delaware has jumped 9 cents a gallon. Even worse, it has jumped 22 cents since November 1st and 43 cents since October 1st.

Expect the trend to continue.

Jim Lardear of AAA Mid-Atlantic says blame it on the price of crude oil, which in recent weeks has traded at 2010 highs.

“When crude oil spikes, motorists can expect gas prices to follow suit shortly thereafter,” he said. “Last week crude oil increased 6.5 percent to settle at a 2010 high just shy of the $90 a barrel mark. If this trend continues, gas prices will undoubtedly follow suit.”

Nationally, the average price is $2.95 per gallon. Delaware’s neighbors Pennsylvania and New Jersey sit at $3.06 and $2.92, respectively.