Pain at the pump: Gas prices on the rise in Arizona

Have you filled your vehicle's fuel tank this week? You probably noticed the prices are increasing, like the temperatures in the Valley.

"I've come to realize that I'm just going to have to pay more money to drive around my small children," said Ashley Drew.

"It's hard on the budget this time of the year," said John Aranda. "You get into the hot season and school is getting out. You're going a lot of places, getting ready for vacation, and you have to plan ahead for the increases in gas, because it's very hard."

The average fuel price in the city of Phoenix is $2.56, while the average state price is $2.57. The national average is $2.65 with the highest prices in California -- $3.56 in some parts.

"The reason why prices are higher right now have to do with refinery maintenance, which takes place every spring, and then, you have higher than usual demand for this time of the year, and then, you have higher crude prices compared to this time of year," said Michelle Donati with AAA, who went on to say that prices are rising because of a switch to a summer blend of fuel, which tends to take place every year and is more expensive to produce.

Online: gasprices.aaa.com