California gas prices could drop sooner rather than later. But we're not in the clear just yet.

SACRAMENTO, California — Many people are feeling the impact of rising gas prices, especially as average prices in California reach more than $6 a gallon.

The price increases are happening at a time when groceries and housing are costing more. Even the cost of owning a car in California has gone up 18%, according to AAA.

However, at least some relief could be on the way soon.

Patrick De Haan, head of Petroleum Analysis with Gas Buddy, said relief could come in the days ahead. He advised Californians to hold off on buying gasoline if they don't need it.

Late Thursday evening, Governor Gavin Newsom instructed California regulators to speed up the delivery of the less expensive winter-blended gas to stations across the state in an effort to curb the recent spike in gas prices.

"We are using a special blend in California, especially because of the refining issues and the laws that we have for emission and so that raises prices," said Sanjay Varshney, professor of finance at Sacramento State University. "And then we also have a larger gas tax that we pay in the state of California."

In Sacramento, people are paying $5.84 a gallon. The nationwide average is $3.85 a gallon.

"We don't have a pipeline going through California, so everything has to be trucked in," said Varshney.

According to Gas Buddy, maintenance issues are behind the state's price increases.

"There is some more pain in our future. These refinery issues, our ongoing maintenance is happening at several major refineries in Southern California that maintenance is going until mid and late October. The supplies are squeezed for now," said De Haan.

In the meantime, there are some ways to mitigate the costs, which include:

• Buy the right fuel - Most cars perform well on regular unleaded gas 
• Use a gas price app - To help you compare gas prices in your area 
• Use a rewards program or credit card - Just be wary if the card has an annual fee or reward caps 
• Pay cash - Some station offer cheaper cash price
• Double check your gas cap - Up to 30 gallons of gasoline a year could evaporate through a poor seal 
• Watch your driving - Try cruise control and remove your roof rack to get better fuel efficiency 

While some relief might be coming soon, it doesn't mean everything is in the clear. Saudi Arabia and Russia extended production cuts through the rest of the year, which could bring additional prices spikes into next year.

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