Sheetz gas prices on display with the Parkersburg Belpre Bridge in the distance Friday. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

PARKERSBURG – As of Friday, the AAA gas price average for Ohio was $3.25 and $3.26 in West Virginia, with a national average of $3.32 numbers are expected to continue rising.

Just last week, prices in Ohio averaged $2.80 and $2.84 in West Virginia.

According to AAA, the national average is the highest it’s been since Sept. 2024.

“Consumers should prepare in case gasoline prices rise even further,” said AAA East Central Director of Public Affairs Jim Garrity. “At this point, all eyes are on crude oil, which accounts for 50 to 60 cents of each dollar you spend at the pump.”

Since conflict in Iran began last week, West Texas Intermediate crude oil has traded at more than $85 per barrel – an almost $20 increase, according to a release from AAA.

Cars filling up with gas at the Kroger Fuel Center on Friday. Gas prices are on display above the fuel center. (Photo by Amber Phipps)

As crude oil prices rise, gas prices are estimated to continue increasing as well.

“Demand is increasing and refineries are beginning their annual transition to summer blend gasoline, which are both trends that typically push prices higher in the spring,” said Garrity. “One of the simplest ways to keep your fuel costs lower is to slow down, as speeding drastically decreases how efficiently your vehicle burns fuel.”

With gas prices trending upward, AAA recommends drivers slow down, lighten car loads, accelerate lightly, and cautions against letting the car idle.

Steps that AAA recommends to ensure optimal fuel consumption include slow breaking and gradually coming to a stop, maintaining constant speed through cruise control, and ensuring tires are inflated.

Although prices increased throughout the week, some residents of the Mid-Ohio Valley said the prices weren’t too bad compared to what they were in the past.

A Belpre resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said they weren’t unsatisfied with where the prices were at, but it could get worse.

Jeff Greene, a resident of Davisville, said the increase from this week didn’t impact his driving.

“It could be much worse,” he said. “I figured it’d be even higher.”

He said the prices were higher a couple of years ago, so he isn’t too shocked by where the numbers are currently.

Greene, who was filling up his truck in Parkersburg, said he’s retired, but he drives to various places throughout the week.

“Iran is the oil capital, so I figured our gas prices would start going up with this going on,” he said.

Greene said he had been anticipating a price increase for a while.

In a release from AAA, gas prices tend to increase during the warmer months due to the “pricier additives” that are added to gasoline to help reduce evaporation during warm days.

Amber Phipps can be reached at aphipps@newsandsentinel.com