California gas prices are over $ 4 for the first time in five years

• California gas prices push past $ 4 a gallon for the first time in five years.
• National awards also nail, having jumped to $ 2.84 a week, about 10 cents more than last year.
• Blame more maintenance problems than what is typical of the spring on the west coast and mountain refineries.

With the summer fast approaching, Americans pay nationwide more pumps, but gas prices in California are pushing over $ 4 for the first time in five years.

California gas is never cheap, given that it complies with strict environmental standards that are not followed in other states. However, unexpected maintenance problems in local refineries have forced the state to look elsewhere for gas. The cost of importing imports has meant that gas prices jumped 40 cents since the beginning of this month alone.

On average, gas prices in the state were $ 4.01[ads1] on Wednesday and increased to $ 4.02 the following day, the highest they have been in the state since July 2014, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. By comparison, national prices rose to $ 2.84 a week, almost 10 cents more than they were at the same time last year.

"We see very expensive gas prices for this time of year across the country," Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesman, said in a statement.

Unexpected repairs put several US refineries out of commission

Nationwide gas prices typically rise in the spring, given that US refineries shut off some of their business to start producing petrol mixtures. However, unexpected maintenance repairs in several West Coast and Rocky Mountain refineries have pushed inventory, driving up gas prices in other parts of the country.

"There are complex issues, so we've seen the prices explode," said Dan McTeague, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.

Of California's 10 refineries, six follow either the typical maintenance plan or undergo unexpected repairs, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. Chevron's El Segundo refinery and Marathon's Los Angeles refinery have both experienced manufacturing problems.

Given that the state supplies gas to other regions, states such as Nevada and Arizona have also seen their gas prices impacted.

Gas prices should stabilize in time for the summer, when refineries complete upgrades and resume production. However, fuel prices can still be higher than they were last year. Motorists can optimize fuel consumption by checking their tires for under-inflation, removing excess weight from vehicles, and shopping for cheaper pump prices.