Gas prices have soared to levels not seen in more than a year as war engulfed the Middle East and shipments of oil and gas were stranded in the Persian Gulf. On Friday, a gallon of regular was up 34 cents on average from a week earlier — the biggest jump since March 2022, when gas prices rose $ 0.60 in one week after Russia invaded Ukraine. Gasoline prices were already rising before the U.S. launched strikes on Iran as refiners switch over to summer blends of fuel. But crude prices rose sharply in recent days because of the war. The U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran has halted shipments of oil and gas through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, where about 20% of global oil shipments normally travel through. As the war drags on, the cost to fill up your tank could be even higher. Here are some tips to help stretch your dollar: Finding the best prices There are several apps available to help comparison shop for gas no matter where you are. GasBuddy has an app and an interactive map on their website to help drivers find nearby gas stations and offer price information for regular, mid-grade and premium. You can search by city or zip code. The app is available to download on the Apple App store and on Google Play. AAA’s navigation app TripTik also displays gas stations and latest per-gallon pump rates along your route. The app is available on the Apple App store and on Google Play. Other commonly used navigation apps like Wave and Google Maps have gas station finder features that displays fuel prices. Google Maps users can also switch on the app’s eco-friendly route feature, which recommends more fuel-efficient paths that minimize hills and stop-and-go traffic patterns, which can gobble up gas.  Is it cheaper to fill up on certain days of the week? That depends. According to AAA, Mondays are often the cheapest day of the week to fill up your tank, followed by Fridays. Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are historically the costliest.  However, GasBuddy analyzed statewide rates over the past year and found that Sunday is the best day to fill up in most states, while the worst day varies from state-to-state. Membership discounts Warehouse clubs and retailers like Walmart, Costco and Amazon all offer special discounts for members to save money on gas. Walmart Plus’ annual membership, which includes fuel savings of up to 10 cents per gallon at more than 13,000 stations at Walmart, Sam’s Club, Murphy Express and ExxonMobil sites. Amazon Prime members get 10 cents off per gallon at more than 7,500 Amoco, AM/PM and BP gas stations across the country. To receive the discount, members must sign up for BP’s free Earnify rewards program, which works at all three BP-owned gas station brands. Costco members can receive generous discounts on fuel. The exact amount varies by location, but range from five cents to 25 cents on average. Iran Mar 1 Higher gas prices are likely coming to the pump after oil prices jump following Iran attacks Middle East Feb 28 How the attack on Iran could impact gas prices How to improve your mileage There are steps you can take to make your car, truck or SUV perform better or go farther — even if it’s an older model — and perhaps save some money on fuel: Keeping Your Tires Properly Inflated  Make sure there’s enough air in the tires. Underinflated tires create more rolling resistance with the pavement, thereby reducing gas mileage. Inflate your tires to the pressure recommended on the inside of your driver’s side door. Check them periodically with a tire pressure gauge. “Typically, your gas mileage is going to be impacted by about 5% to 10% if you don’t have proper inflation,” said David Bennett, manager of repair systems for AAA. But don’t over-inflate. Doing so could cause tires to wear out more quickly. Making Sure Fluids and Filters Are Changed Properly maintain your vehicle. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for oil and other fluid changes and for replacing air and other filters. Replacing spark plugs at the proper intervals can help, too. “The vehicle is going to operate at its peak efficiency” with good maintenance, Bennett said. It will cost between $235 and $289 for new spark plugs on, say, a 10-year-old Ford F-150 pickup with a 4.6-liter V8, according to Repairpal.com. Watch Your Speed AAA says fuel economy peaks around 50 miles per hour on most vehicles, then drops as speed rises. Reducing highway speeds by 5 mph (8 kilometers per hour) to 10 mph improves gas mileage by up to 14%. Coasting to stop lights also helps. Time your travel to keep rolling and avoid unnecessary stops. Cars consume a lot of fuel to get moving from a dead stop. Plan Your Trip in Advance  Try to minimize backtracking. Do multiple tasks on each trip. Avoid rush hours and other peak travel times. Don’t Idle Too Much  An engine burns one-quarter to a half-gallon (1.9 liters) of gas per hour when idling, but a warm engine needs only around 10 seconds worth of fuel to restart, according to AAA. So when safely possible, shut your engine off if you’ll be stopped for more than a minute. Many new vehicles do this on their own. Bennett says owners shouldn’t disable their new “stop-start” system. “Top Tier” Gas Fill up with gasoline designated as “Top Tier.” Oil companies put additives in Top Tier gas that cuts carbon deposits. “As you start getting carbon buildup, the vehicle will not be running as efficiently,” Bennett said. Gasoline brands with the additives have stickers on the pumps. They can be found at here. ...read more read less