A gallon of regular gasoline around here had jumped to about $2.70 by the start if this week when the Energy Department predicted gas will cost an average of 25 cents more per gallon this summer vs. a year ago. Last August, gas reached a record of $3.07 a gallon when Hurricane Katrina flooded refineries in the gulf. Some observers predict a climb as high as $5 a gallon if the price of crude oil continues up.

Gas prices usually rise in time for summer vacation driving. Cynics blame profiteering by the oil companies, but the U.S. Energy Department says it’s just a case of supply and demand.

The surge is hurting President George W. Bush’s already sagging popularity and General Motors’ already stumbling performance. Closer to home, it hurts Maine men and women, who live in a largely rural state and mostly use automobiles to get to and from work, to do the shopping, and take off sometimes for a trip to the coast or the lakes or the mountains.

Here are some tips on getting along with the mounting cost of driving:

? Watch now you drive. Speeding or dawdling can cut your gas mileage, since most vehicles use the least fuel at 55 miles an hour. Turn off the engine when halted for road repairs or waiting for someone in a parking lot. Don’t zoom up to speed unnecessarily.

? Switch to carpooling or public transportation if you can.

? If you drive a gas-guzzling SUV, consider getting a smaller car that can run twice as far on a tank of gas. The new hybrids are an option, but tests show that some of their mileage claims are overblown. Also, do the arithmetic and see how long it will take to work off the higher price in gasoline savings.

? Consider one of the credit-card offers that provide rebates on gasoline purchases.

? You might try shopping around for a service station that offers the cheapest gas. GasBuddy.com lists current prices in your area. But driving some distance out of the way for a minor saving may not pay off. And GasBuddy’s report on stations in the Bangor area this week showed a range of only a few cents – except for one station that was listed as charging 25 cents more than the others.

? Finally, now that mild weather has arrived at last, you might try walking or bicycling to work. But GasBuddy suggests you check first whether you can get a shower when you get there.