YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Prices at the pump are soaring, and Pennsylvanians are not happy.
In the last month, gas prices in the commonwealth have increased more than 30 cents, according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA).
York County resident Alicia Tuttle said, since the spike, she's paying at least $20 more at the pump. For her, the added costs make it difficult to support herself.
"Who can afford to pay for gas and go back and forth to work [or] go to the doctors?" Tuttle asked.
As of March 3, the average price of unleaded gas in Pennsylvania is $3.87 a gallon. That's 92 cents more compared to this time last year.
"Crude [oil] is what's driving these prices up," said Doni Lee Spiegel, the spokesperson for AAA Central Pennsylvania. "We have a lot going on right now."
The cost of crude oil has jumped to $110 per barrel, and experts predict it will continue to increase as Russia attacks Ukraine. Russia is one of the top oil producers in the world, exporting approximately 5 million barrels of crude oil per day.
Tuttle, who works an hour away from where she lives, said she is thinking about quitting her job to reduce her gas expenses.
"Financially, it's going to kill me, so I might need to find another job closer to home or get a second job to supplement it," she said.
Financial experts predict the cost of gas will cause trucking companies to raise their prices, which, in turn, will cause consumers to pay more for everyday goods.
"Our paychecks aren't going up," Tuttle said. "Everything is going up but the pay."
On Tuesday, the International Energy Agency, which is made up of 31 countries, agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves to help with costs and supply shortages.
AAA predicts the average price of gas will increase another 0.50 to 0.75 cents more in the coming weeks.