Auto Club: Year's End Brings Gas Price Increases

(LOS ANGELES, Dec.26, 2008) – The end of the trend is official – Southern California gas prices posted their first net weekly Friday-to-Friday increase in six months, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $1.781 per gallon, which is six cents more than last week, 33 cents lower than last month, and $1.44 under last year. In San Diego, the price is $1.826, which is 10.6 cents more than last week’s price, 23 cents below last month, and $1.43 lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $1.882, up 7.1 cents from last week, 29 cents below last month, and $1.48 below last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $1.773, which is 7.3 cents over last week, down 28 cents from last month, and $1.44 less than last year.

“Prices reversed course in the middle of December in response to an upswing in California wholesale gasoline prices,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “The increases have pulled California up once again to have one of the most expensive statewide gas price averages in the U.S., behind only Alaska, Hawaii and New York.”