Americans Spend $33 Billion More on Gas as Iran War Lifts Prices 34%

1 articles · Updated · NBC News · Jun 20

$33 billion in extra gasoline spending has hit U.S. consumers since Feb. 28, when the U.S. first struck Iran, according to a Brown University estimate.
Average national gas prices have climbed 34% since the war began, peaking at $4.63 a gallon in the week of May 11—the 10th-highest weekly level in a decade.
Higher pump prices are adding less than $20 to more than $300 a month for drivers who fill up twice monthly, based on an NBC News analysis of AAA data.
Consumer behavior is already shifting: Placer.ai found U.S. gas-station visits fell 5% in May from a year earlier, while New York Fed data showed households expect to spend more on transportation and utilities.
Wyoming has seen some of the sharpest strain, with prices up more than 50% since February to about $4.70 a gallon, even as a recent peace deal announcement suggests the war may be nearing an end.