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Auto Club: Gas Prices Plummet From Last Month, But Still Higher Than August

Monthly Fuel Prices Report

Lower Demand Continues Pushing Prices Down

(LOS ANGELES, Oct. 14, 2003) — The average price of regular gasoline in Southern California has dropped nearly 25 cents in a month, which is welcome news to consumers, but it still remains 13.5 cents higher than the August average, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's monthly Fuel Gauge Report. Lower demand for gasoline and increased gasoline imports continue to fuel the downward trend.

The Southern California average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline is $1.862, down from $2.104 on Sept. 16. The lowest average price in Southern California is Bakersfield, where drivers can pump regular self-serve unleaded gasoline for an average $1.683. San Francisco Bay-area motorists now pay an average of $1.980 down 24 cents from September. Nationally, prices are down 12.4 cents since the September AAA survey and now average $1.565 per gallon.

"While prices have dropped from the late summer spike, they are still 7.5 percent higher than the were during the August 12 survey," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "With lower demand and stable distribution, prices should continue to decline in California during the next few weeks as higher refiner and retail margins fall back into normal ranges."

Thorp added that as long as inventories remain tight and production capacity is not increased, the market is still susceptible to wide swings in pricing.

In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:

County And City 10/14 Unl 9/16 Unl. 10/14 Pre 9/16 Pre
Imperial County
El Centro 1.900 2.178 2.099 2.339
Inyo County
Bishop 1.924 2.200 2.124 2.409
Kern County
Bakersfield 1.683 2.057 1.844 2.218
Ridgecrest 1.884 2.121 2.004 2.294
Los Angeles County
Alhambra 1.875 2.073 1.959 2.239
Arcadia 1.857 2.088 2.059 2.299
Burbank 1.837 2.052 2.079 2.229
Culver City 1.935 2.150 2.055 2.327
Glendale 1.823 2.060 2.032 2.359
Glendora 1.813 2.061 2.044 2.254
Inglewood 1.864 2.076 1.991 2.277
Lancaster 1.748 2.036 1.868 2.213
Long Beach 1.882 2.107 2.091 2.301
Los Angeles 1.867 2.099 2.056 2.298
Manhattan Beach 1.879 2.146 1.979 2.329
Montebello 1.865 2.092 2.099 2.269
Santa Clarita 1.805 2.076 1.925 2.236
Santa Monica 1.902 2.122 2.106 2.279
Van Nuys 1.818 2.031 2.001 2.232
Whittier 1.843 2.070 2.081 2.259
Woodland Hills 1.837 2.047 1.957 2.289
Orange County
Anaheim 1.789 2.025 1.994 2.231
Fullerton 1.826 2.043 1.991 2.256
Huntington Beach 1.792 2.050 2.009 2.224
La Habra 1.792 2.052 1.979 2.234
Laguna Beach 1.921 2.145 2.041 2.299
Newport Beach 1.923 2.139 2.059 2.324
San Clemente 1.917 2.157 2.089 2.414
Tustin 1.860 2.090 2.049 2.287
Riverside County
Blythe 2.050 2.246 2.224 2.379
Hemet 1.807 2.059 1.979 2.279
Palm Springs 1.935 2.155 2.102 2.399
Riverside 1.811 2.076 1.972 2.235
San Bernardino County
Redlands 1.999 2.139 2.119 2.316
San Bernardino 1.829 2.127 1.979 2.259
Victorville 1.859 2.115 1.999 2.247
San Diego County
Chula Vista 1.849 2.138 2.014 2.372
Del Mar 1.876 2.132 1.996 2.289
Escondido 1.782 2.033 1.999 2.241
Oceanside 1.854 2.081 2.089 2.307
San Diego 1.869 2.138 2.069 2.366
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo 1.883 2.168 2.106 2.379
Santa Barbara County
Lompoc 1.929 2.203 2.399
Santa Barbara 1.946 2.176 2.124 2.346
Santa Maria 1.915 2.173 1.999 2.341
Tulare County
Porterville 1.878 2.050 2.069 2.238
Visalia 1.828 2.034 2.089 2.229
Ventura County
Ventura 1.801 2.107 1.987 2.323
So. Calif. Avg. 1.862 2.104 2.034 2.295

The Auto Club's Fuel Gauge Report is based on data gathered from monitoring fuel transactions at 2,800 Southern California gas stations. Oil Price Information Service — the nation's most comprehensive source of petroleum pricing information, provides the data.

The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest affiliate of the AAA, has been serving members since 1900. Today, the Auto Club's members benefit by roadside assistance, insurance products and services, travel agency, financial products, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs, automotive testing and analysis, trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs. Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.

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CST 1016202-80 Copyright © Automobile Club of Southern California. All Rights Reserved.
The Automobile Club of Southern California is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in the following California counties: Inyo, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura.