Soaring gas prices are now starting to hit the pocketbooks of drivers. Insurance provider AAA says the market is now starting to react to the war in Iran, specifically diesel fuel.
Drivers across California are feeling the impact of soaring gas prices in what feels like overnight.
“I commute for work, back and forth to the Bay Area a few times a week… It really adds up quickly,” driver Neil McElroy said in San Joaquin County.
As of Monday, prices statewide were up 5 cents from Sunday and 55 cents from a week ago. AAA says California drivers have it particularly tough.
“This is coming at a really bad time for California,” Northern California AAA spokesperson Doug Johnson explained. “We’re transitioning from the winter blend, which is cheaper to produce, into the summer blend that has more additives and cleans so it burns cleaner in the summer months.”
On top of this, two refineries in California are closing. The Phillips 66 in Southern California has already shut down, and Valero in Benicia is set to close next month.
This stark jump in gas prices, however, has happened before. As recently as 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, it caused the statewide average to top $6 a gallon.
AAA says predicting the future is nearly impossible.
“Right before this conflict started, the Thursday before, we sent out a report that said that fuel prices were actually lower this time this year than they were this time last year,” Johnson shared. “You can see how quickly it can change when a conflict happens like this.”
In the meantime, drivers are doing what they can to ease the hit to their wallets.
“It’s expensive,” Saul Torres shared. “I’m trying to save money but I really can’t with all these gas prices, especially since I live like 30 minutes away.”
“We’re trying to conserve and be smarter about money and things like that,” McElroy said. “Just being careful because you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
AAA suggests planning trips ahead of time, slow down, check tire pressure, don’t needlessly idle the car, and keep the A/C at a minimum to not add extra stress to your car and save on gas.