Expert shares money-saving tips for car owners as gas prices keep rising

People saw a sharp spike in gas prices since geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Iran broke out. In Reno, two California oil refineries were closed down, which added a dramatic increase in gas prices — almost $5 per gallon, and sometimes even more. On April 10, Patric De Haan, the Head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy, said that people can expect the prices to come down soon after the ceasefire talks with Iran. In his words, "I would say 85% of the rise that we've seen in prices since March 1st is attributed to what's happened between the US and Iran," according to News4. But for now, while the prices are still high, De Haan has some advice to share with vehicle owners to help them save money.

According to De Haan, there are three reasons why people are wasting money on gas. The first is the kind of fuel that they buy, the second is where they fill their fuel from, and the third is what they carry inside their cars. He explained how not all cars require premium fuel. "So if you're filling up with it just because you like it or you think it's better, you're probably just wasting money away," De Haan said.

De Haan also shared a few places people can go to for cheaper fuel. Costco is one such place. With a membership, people can save up to 30 cents per gallon. Using a Costco Anywhere Visa Card can get people a 5% cashback on gas. Smith is on a Shopper's Card program where people can earn 1 fuel point for every $1 they spend. De Haan also suggested wholesale clubs, saying, "A lot of these wholesale clubs have lower prices. Some stations may have cash discounters, also various credit cards that may save you 2, 3, or 4% on fuel." Finding other stores that offer loyalty programs can help with savings over time.

De Haan also explained that carrying extra weight in the car can impact fuel efficiency. He suggests cleaning and removing the extra weight can help your fuel last longer. The math behind his reason is: "Every 100 pounds can reduce your fuel efficiency by a couple of miles a gallon as well. So if you're somebody with a lot of stuff built up over time, clean out your trunk, that can help."

For those who are not familiar with GasBuddy, it is an app and website that helps drivers find the cheapest and best stations around them. The app has tools that can help calculate trip costs. It gives users fuel insights, a fuel logbook, an outage tracker, vehicle recalls, and gas price maps. Users can look up the cheapest gas stations by state. In just one month since the tensions broke out, the price of gas went from an average of $2.93 to $4.01 per gallon. This increase would cost an American driver approximately $34 more on fuel per month. People in the Southern states heavily rely on their vehicles for transportation, making them the most affected. Every driver in the South is estimated to spend at least $40 per month on gas.

De Haan later posted a gas price update on X on April 13. He wrote, "The verdict is in — gas prices are likely to return to climbing with Trump's new Strait block, with price-cycling states likely to hike gas prices very soon — as early as tomorrow — for many areas as oil prices surge past $100/bbl again. RBOB pointing to [a] big surge in wholesale tomorrow." Since gas prices are still fluctuating because of Trump's decisions, De Haan's suggestions on how to save money on fuel have become even more important for drivers to manage the unpredictable costs.

You can follow Patrick De Hann (@GasBuddyGuy) on X for more gas price updates.

More on Scoop Upworthy

Man shares the best money-saving tips his 'cheap' parents taught him while growing up

25 people share their best frugal living hacks that help them save money

Women reveal 15 'money lessons' they learned in life — often the hard way