The price of gas is climbing higher. Here’s how you can save at the pump

The price of gas is climbing higher. Here’s how you can save at the pump

Don't be surprised if filling your car's tank at the pump keeps gobbling up a growing portion of your budget.Amid already rising gasoline prices, the average price you pay for per gallon could jump over the next couple of weeks, according to GasBuddy.com.On top of elevated prices for crude oil “” which accounts for more than half the price of gas “” as demand recovers from a pandemic-induced drop and production remains lower, millions of barrels of refining capacity are now offline due to extreme cold in the lower half of the U.S.

"Much of the projected increase in gas prices is likely to play out in the coming days," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.The current national average for a gallon of regular unleaded is $2.58 and could reach somewhere between $2.65 and $2.75 soon. That would put it about $1 above the $1.74 tallied in April 2020 amid plummeting demand as the pandemic took hold.Additionally, the cost per gallon also tends to rise in the spring as demand increases and stations switch to cleaner and more environmentally friendly gas for the summer.More from Personal Finance:Here's when the IRS might flag your tax returnHow to land