Andrew Mollenbeck, wtop.com

WASHINGTON – Spoiler alert: Gas price this summer will cost more than last year. About 25 cents more.

The Short-Term Energy Outlook, released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, projects summer retail prices will be about 6 percent higher than the previous year, with a national average of about $3.95 per gallon.

Most drivers in the Washington area have already been paying in excess of $4 for regular unleaded gasoline.

By May, when prices are expected to peak, the EIA puts the national average at $4.01 per gallon.

The average for all of 2011 was $3.53 per gallon, according to figures in the report. The national average this year is expected to be $3.81.

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