SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Drivers across the Sacramento region are feeling the sting of rising gas prices, with some paying more than 50 cents extra per gallon compared with last week.

Families in Carmichael say the steady climb is putting pressure on household budgets at a time when wages aren’t keeping up.

At gas stations across the area, drivers say the numbers on the pumps keep climbing.

“5:39, 5.59 and 5.79,” said King, a driver from Citrus Heights, reading prices posted at a station. “This is ridiculous, we went from three to fives.”

For some drivers, the higher costs are forcing difficult choices.

“How am I gonna get the money to put more gas in my tank?” said Leyth Ames, a Carmichael driver.

Ames said he had planned a spring break trip to the beach with his family but canceled the plans because of the higher fuel costs.

AAA says the increase began about a week ago as conflict involving Iran began affecting global oil supply.

“Here in California, the price of a gallon of regular gasoline has gone up about 51 cents in the past week, and nationally, it’s gone up about 47 cents,” said Doug Johnson, a Northern California AAA spokesperson. “Really, what’s going on is supply and demand. This conflict in Iran is affecting the supply.”

Before the spike, the average price in California was about $4.60 per gallon.

Chris Richnak, a driver from Truckee, said the situation feels unpredictable.

“It’s like Pac-Man. They’re gobbling up all the places they get oil from, so it’s pretty frustrating,” Richnak said. “You can’t really control it. It’s like a balancing act.”

April Berches, a Carmichael driver, said she drives a hybrid but worries about families who rely on traditional gas vehicles.

“It’s hard for them to afford the gas to get to places to work, for instance, right?” Berches said. “Or, you know, the wages aren’t going up as quickly as the gas prices. So I mean, I think it has a huge impact on them for sure.”

Gas prices also tend to increase this time of year as fuel producers switch blends.

“This is also the time of year that we typically see a seasonal increase because we’re going from the winter blend, which is cheaper to produce, to the summer blend, which is more expensive cause it has more additives,” Johnson said.

Drivers say they understand that prices fluctuate but hope they settle at a more manageable level.

“I would like to see it just drop and stay reasonable and affordable, because it’s a necessity, unfortunately,” Berches said.

King also weighed in on the issue.

“I believe in what Trump doing. You gotta start somewhere, and I feel like it should start right now,” King said.

AAA says drivers can save money on fuel by planning errands in a single trip using a navigation app to find the shortest route. The group also recommends avoiding speeding — since fuel economy peaks around 50 miles per hour in most cars — and limiting unnecessary idling.

AAA also recommends drivers find ways to save gas, including: 

• Plan Your Trips: Map fuel-efficient routes using digital navigation apps Maps to minimize unnecessary turnarounds and backtracking. Combine errands and avoid peak traffic times to minimize drive time.

• Avoid Speeding: Fuel economy peaks at around 50 mph on most cars, then drops off as speeds increase. Driving the recommended speed limit can increase fuel economy between 7 and 14 percent.

• Avoid Excessive Idling: When idling, car engines use up to one-half gallons of fuel per hour. Warm engines take about 10 seconds worth of fuel to restart. Shut off your engine when stopped for more than a minute and if it’s safe to do so.

• Check Tire Pressure and Align Tires: Maintaining proper tire pressure reduces your tire’s friction with the road. Less friction means less energy is needed to move, resulting in using less gas. Proper inflation can improve gas mileage by .6 percent on average.

Watch more from ABC10: Rising oil disruptions push U.S. gas prices up 47 cents in a week | Iran Updates

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