RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Gas prices have spiked nationwide over the past week, according to AAA. In Richmond, prices are averaging $4.14 a gallon -- an increase of 19 cents. "After about two weeks of plateau or lower prices, we have really started to see gas prices shoot back up again," said AAA Mid -Atlantic spokesperson Morgan Dean. "A big contributor to this continues to be the conflict in the Middle East, everything going on with Iran. The Strait of Hormuz is still closed." Dean said about 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through that strait, helping drive up prices locally. Prices now are a dollar higher than they were this time in 2025. Across Virginia, Dean said prices are sitting around $4.11, up two cents overnight. Man found dead in Emporia over 40 years ago still unidentified, VDH asks for help Richmond-area drivers say the increase is taking a toll. "I’ve had to make food cuts -- I had to change some of my bills,” one driver told 8News. "It's especially hard for the senior citizens that's on a fixed income." Another driver called the prices "ridiculous," while someone else said they’re considering alternatives. "I’m tired of it," they said. "I might get on the bike." Dean said some states are seeing even larger increases than Virginia. "Some parts of the country are seeing even bigger gaps than we are, and that's due to some refining issues up in the upper Midwest, but we're not seeing as much of that," he said. 16-year-old girl shot at Richmond’s Southside Plaza As the war in Iran has reached its ninth week, Dean said the conflict continues to influence prices. However, even without it, seasonal demand would likely still push prices up. "We're getting into the warm weather, a lot more people are driving on the weekends, starting to get in some of those vacations," he said. "Higher demand at the pump usually causes higher prices at the pump." He said that, historically, prices rise quickly and fall more slowly. It is difficult to predict when prices will start to drop. "There are some things that you can do to try and get more miles out of every gallon that you put in your car," Dean said. "Getting some of that preventative maintenance done in your vehicle, getting an oil change, checking that air filter and checking your tire pressure." ...read more read less