Uncertainty over combat operations in the Persian Gulf is driving up gas prices in the United States. The price of regular unleaded gas has gone up after the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran.
AAA's Morgan Dean says the average price of a gallon in Ohio went up a penny Monday, and then another 23 cents by Tuesday.
“Typically the longer something like this goes on the bigger of an issue it can be, or the more extended of an issue it can be,” he says. “But it’s very hard to predict how high it will go, how long it will be, because there are so many different factors.”
Dean says the United States doesn’t buy oil from Iran, but the market is still reacting.
“Because it is such a big oil-producing country it is causing ripple effects across the world,” he says. “China and India are the top purchasers of oil from Iran, but typically when there starts to be some sort of an issue with Iran, then China and India start to look at other oil producers which tends to drive prices up, which is a bit of what we’re seeing now.”
Dean says prices could stay up on other factors too: Demand for gasoline is expected to climb during spring break and warmer weather. He says U.S. oil refineries will soon start switching over to summer blends from the winter formulas. That process requires refineries to briefly stop production.
“It’s always a good thing for folks to think about saving fuel and maximizing those miles per gallon, getting back into that mode,” he says. “Combine all your trips. Instead of running out to the grocery store and then coming back home, running out to the gym later, and running out to pick up the kids. See if you can combine that all in one trip. That’ll save you gas along the way.”
Tuesday in Cincinnati, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded: $2.97, up 37 cents.
- Cleveland: $3.05 ,up 16 cents overnight
- Columbus: $3.08, up 24 cents overnight
- Toledo: $3.04, up 32 cents overnight
- Dayton had the lowest average price in Ohio: $2.91.
Dean says Kentucky prices climbed 9 cents overnight. Now, on average it's $2.72 a gallon. Indiana's price jumped 20 cents, to $3.00 on average. The national average went from $2.99 Monday to $3.10 Tuesday.
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