A third straight week of Southern California gas prices in 2013 have brought some unusual pricing patterns for Los Angeles/Long Beach drivers, who are now paying the second-highest average price of any major metropolitan region in the state, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch. The state average is $3.644 a gallon for regular today – 2.5 cents higher than last week.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.729 per gallon, which is 5.3 cents more than last week, 10 cents higher than last month, and one-tenth of one cent lower than last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.70, 3.9 cents above last week, 9 cents above last month, and 2 cents lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.725, up 4.1 cents from last week, 6 cents higher than a month ago, and 3 cents less than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price is $3.690, up 5.1 cents from last week, 10 cents higher than last month, and 2 cents less than last year.
“A power failure and burn-off at the Chevron refinery in El Segundo earlier this week appears to have caused a larger gas price increase in the Los Angeles area, although refinery officials say the facility is now operating normally and supplies will not be impacted,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “However, now Los Angeles drivers are paying about a nickel more for a gallon of fuel on average than San Francisco drivers, and LA pump prices are the second-highest in the state behind the San Luis Obispo area.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Jan. 17, averages are:
Area | Regular | One-week change | Record Price |
Los Angeles – Long Beach | $3.729 | +5.3 cents | $4.705 (10/9/12) |
Orange County | $3.706 | +4.8 cents | $4.690 (10/8/12) |
San Diego | $3.700 | +3.9 cents | $4.725 (10/8/12) |
Santa Barbara – Santa Maria – Lompoc | $3.725 | +4.1 cents | $4.709 (6/21/08) |
Riverside – San Bernardino | $3.690 | +5.1 cents | $4.688 (10/8/12) |
Bakersfield | $3.624 | +2.0 cents | $4.648 (10/9/12) |
Ventura | $3.725 | +5.4 cents | $4.689 (10/7/12) |