California ranks first nationally for having the highest gas price reaching a record $4.82 per gallon on Feb 24.

The Golden State is known for having consistently higher gas prices than other states in the country. But the prices hit in recent weeks have Californians hurting their pocketbooks every time they go to the pump.

This alarming increase is because the price of a barrel of crude has now reached $99.50. The highest price since 2014, which has caused a total increase of 13.2 cents according to the AAA.

Experts and analysts also warn that gasoline will rise to six dollars per gallon by next month or even sooner.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict is Key

Added to all this is the difficult and complex situation between Russia and Ukraine. Russia is the world’s largest producer of crude oil, which explains why this conflict is shaking the markets.

If Russia continues to move troops into Ukraine, the economic situation will worsen.

The US government has declared itself against this situation and has stressed that it will continue to sanction Russia for invading Ukraine and causing these gas increases to affect the US economy.

“I’m going to take robust action to make sure the pain of our sanctions is targeted at the Russian economy, not ours.” President Biden said during a news conference at the White House last Tuesday.

The government has not disclosed the next steps to be taken to deal with this situation. But they assure that stopping and easing Californians’ pain over gasoline is critical.

The high demand for gasoline in recent weeks has caused prices to rise. One of the reasons is that the government has already lifted most of the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic.

Now the population sees in this an opportunity to go out and consume more compared to when these restrictions were still valid.

Gasoline consumption compared to 2020 has consistently outpaced production as several refineries are switching to renewables. Also, the high inflation experienced in recent months has affected the basket of goods.

Now more than ever it is important to know how to save gasoline, and vehicle maintenance is one of the main ones. Trying not to make long trips and combine trips is the best option.