That pain you've been feeling at the gas pumps is real.
The average statewide price of regular unleaded gasoline climbed 11 cents from last month to $3.70 a gallon, according to today's monthly gas price survey released by AAA.
In Northern California, the average price of $3.67 was up 9 cents from the Dec. 13 AAA survey. Sacramento came in at $3.63 a gallon, up 13 cents from December.
Nationwide, the average price was $3.37, climbing a dime from last month.
AAA said all but one metro area it surveys in Northern California saw gas price increases. That was a sharp break from the November-to-December survey, when all but two metro areas in Northern California had gas price declines of 20 cents or more.
"The recent jumps at the pump are largely driven by investors' buying behavior, which is linked to real, perceived or potential impacts on supply and demand worldwide," said AAA spokesman Matt Skryja. "Recent tensions between Iran and the U.S. in the Persian Gulf sparked concerns about possible restrictions on oil tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Fears over this potential impact to supply helped push the price upwards."
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