Gas prices took a big jump last month

The Department of Natural Resources latest survey of gas prices finds them up 24 cents a gallon from mid-March. Prices are jumping up and down every day and the DNR’s Angela Chen explains that’s because there isn’t a large reserve supply to shield us from changes in crude-oil prices. With summer vacation season still ahead, Chen adds there isn’t a chance of seeing prices drop much until fall. We’re not yet into summer travel season, so consumers should conserve gas, carpool, whatever we can do to keep the price down. Iowa’s gas-price increases are in line with regional and national jumps, and the DNR says there’s little we can do but try to use as little of the high-priced gas as possible. The average price for a gallon of self-serve regular with ethanol is a dollar-59 a gallon, up about 25 cents from one year ago.