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Gasoline prices are increasing today.

(Plain Dealer file)

CLEVELAND, OHIO -- The average price of a gallon of gasoline in Cleveland and across the state this Monday morning is $2.16 a gallon -- higher than the national average of $2.14.

Columbus is leading the state with an average price of $2.19, both AAA and GasBuddy report. Youngstown's average price of $2.12 is the lowest in the state, AAA records show.

Average Ohio prices a week ago were $2.09 -- below the average national price of $2.11 at the time.

Many Greater Cleveland stations this morning are posting prices in the $2.25-to--$2.30 range, GasBuddy reports, though wholesale clubs such as Sam's Club and Costco are selling gasoline at or below $2 a gallon. So, shopping may be worth the time.

Ohio's price problems began in the middle of last week when Speedway, owned by Marathon Petroleum and the price leader here, abruptly began raising prices at many stations to $2.25 a gallon. Speedway's bump-up was not consistent, though, with many of its stations below the $2.25 peak.

The sudden price jump came just hours after the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Wednesday morning report suggesting that demand for gasoline was running more than 3 percent above last year and more than 7 percent higher than 2014.

"Unsurprisingly, this has impacted retail gasoline prices, causing 43 of the 50 states to raise prices from a week ago. Low prices have ignited the early demand surge this year, and the surge is expected to continue into the summer, where demand hits its peak for the year," concluded Will Speer, a Houston-based senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy in a note issued Monday morning.

Northeast Ohio Speedway stations this morning are posting prices as high as $2.25 in Lake County and as low as $1.99 in Portage County, according to the company's website.

Oil prices, which are one factor affecting what you pay at the pumps, moved higher every day last week, closing on Friday afternoon at $43.73 for the best grades of U.S. oil. Prices are declining slightly this morning.