Gas prices highest in 7 years

If you feel like you’re paying more to fill your gas tank, you’re not alone.

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GasBuddy.com said that by Tuesday, the country was seeing an average of $3.32 for a gallon of gas. Drivers haven’t had to pay that much since 2014, CNBC reported.

Don’t expect the prices to start coming back down just yet.

“It just continues to go up,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy told CNBC. “I think it’s just a matter of time until we get to $3.35 and maybe $3.40 until things get caught up.”

To put into perspective, drivers nationwide were paying $2.17 a gallon on average last year, The Associated Press reported last week.

Why are prices rising?

Analysts said that crude oil closed last week at more than $80 a barrel, the highest since 2014 and twice as high as last year, the AP reported.

In August, barrels of crude were in the low $60s, CNBC reported.

While the average is $3.32 a gallon, there are places paying much more or much less right now.

The highest amounts are being paid in California ($4.45), Hawaii ($4.13) and Nevada ($3.90) and the lowest is being paid in Texas ($2.92), Oklahoma ($2.94) and Arkansas ($2.97), according to CNBC.

So how can you cut your fuel costs?

CarsDirect.com has these suggestions:

• Drive only when needed.
• Tighten the gas cap.
• Don’t let your vehicle idle.
• Accelerate or brake steadily.
• Drive the speed limit.
• Coast when possible.
• Use cruise control on highways.
• Remove roof racks, lighten loads.
• Keep windows closed.
• Minimize air conditioning.
• Replace air filters.
• Keep tires properly inflated.
• Keep your vehicle maintained.

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