BOZEMAN — If you have filled up your car recently, you've probably noticed a bit of a jump at the pump.
"We go through a lot of gas with work," said local Ethan Downes. "I've seen it jump at least 25 or 30 cents."
Downes was filling up his truck at the Town Pump on Huffine Lane this morning when he noticed an increase from last week's average of $2.79. Now, it's almost $3 for a gallon of regular gasoline.
WATCH: Gas prices in Montana jumped 20 cents in one week. A AAA spokesperson explains what's behind the spike
According to AAA fuel prices, this indicates an increase of 20 cents per gallon in the past week.
"We're going through sometimes 100 gallons a day, so little changes like this affect us greatly."
Downes works for Big Boys Toys — an adventure rental company in Four Corners. Throughout the winter, Downes said he drives around dropping off snowmobile rentals.
"This is going to increase our fuel costs, which is going to affect our delivery rates, and the price that we charge when people don't return equipment full of fuel," explained Downes.
Julian Paredes, an AAA Spokesperson said that although it feels like a relatively big jump here, Montana is actually "doing pretty well compared to the rest of the U.S."
The AAA website states the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has increased by almost 27 cents since last week. The national average is currently $3.25.
The highest prices are in California at $4.81 per gallon.
Although gas prices tend to go up at the beginning of spring, Paredes said the ongoing conflict with Iran is the main reason we're seeing a surge right now.
"Oil prices have gone up 20 percent in the last week," he said. "Oil is a global commodity, and that's how a conflict all the way in Iran can affect gas prices in Montana."
So, what could we expect to see for gas prices going forward?
"That's the scary thing about this conflict," explained Downes. "A lot of its impact on gas prices depends on how long it lasts, and how far it escalates."
"We just don't know."
