David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images The average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline rose above $ 5 nationally for the first time due to increased demand from the reopening economy due to the pandemic and the depletion of oil reserves that came partly from the war in Ukraine. Prices are likely to continue to rise in the summer months, analysts said. According to AAA, the national average price reached $ 5,004 on Saturday. This is higher than about $ 3.07 a year ago and a record price that has not been adjusted for inflation. By the end of the week, prices were already averaging $ 5 or more in about 20 states, with the highest prices on the West Coast. “By my calculations, the typical household spends about $ 160 more on gas a month than a year ago,” said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. “This is a big bite.” Gasoline prices usually peak in mid-May, but this year they have continued to rise and the average price is about 65 cents higher than a month ago. Due to limited supplies this year, analysts predict that prices may not exceed until mid-July, when the summer driving season traditionally peaks. “I do not think we are too far away from higher prices,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of oil analysis at GasBuddy. “I do not think it would close at $ 5.50. I would say $ 5.25 is the top, but again, the market is rampant.” However, if there are severe shutdowns at the refinery this summer or hurricane disruptions, petrol prices could soar, he added. Gasoline has a lower supply than normal, because the US has lost about 1 million barrels per day of refining capacity before the pandemic. At the same time, sanctions on Russian energy have pushed up oil prices sharply and created limited supplies of both oil and fuel worldwide. Analysts say that while consumers are feeling the pain of the pump, the cost of refueling a car is not as much of a household expense as it used to be. This is partly due to the more efficient vehicles. According to a CNBC analysis, drivers have been spending an average of 20 cents per mile on petrol since June this year, even with sharp price increases. In 1980, the same mile would cost 30 cents on today’s dollars. –NBC Nicholas Wells contributed to this report