TUCSON, Ariz. — Arizonans driving on gas and diesel may be feeling a little more pain at the pump.
Wednesday morning, AAA announced an over $3.00 per gallon average gas price across the country. In Arizona, that average jumped to near $3.50 per gallon.
"Prices are going way up," sad Tucsonan James Jordan.
“I’ve definitely seen an increase,” said Nicole Seitsinger. She and her husband Chad are already cost-conscious when it comes to their cars.
Chad drives for rideshare app Uber. He says because of that he has to fill us his car almost every day, usually totaling over $50 for a full tank.
“I’m constantly shopping and noticing where it’s expensive and where it’s not," Chad said.
That shopping around for a good price has gotten a little more difficult across the country since about 20% of global oil consumption passes through an area near Iran called the Strait of Hormuz according to federal data.
That area is harder for oil to pass through due to air attacks between Israel—backed by the United states—and Iran. The U.S. economy is already starting to feel the effects.
As markets opened Monday, stocks plummeted as crude oil prices jumped. AAA put Wednesday's gas price average at $3.486 in Arizona. That's about $0.40 higher than the average month ago.
That's leaving people in Tucson—like the Seitsingers— to search for slightly cheaper prices around town."
“Even if we’re on E, we will try to find the best deal and hope that we make it to that gas station,” said Nicole Seitsinger.
They're not alone. James Jordan and his brother Michael also say they shop around before settling on a place to fill their tank, usually option for “the one on Tanque Verde or the one on Oracle."
Both agreed that they have no choice but to deal with it.
“What are we going to do?" Chad Seitsinger asked. "We got to go to work, people have got to go to work. We do what we got to do and we just take it.”
Though he is considering reducing his family's reliance on gas.
“The next car will be a hybrid, I’m sure," he said "We’ll move on from there and cross our fingers we don’t go broke in the process.”
To find the best prices in your area or search for prices near you, find the lowest gas rates in Tucson here.
