Southern California gas prices moved up by about a penny a day in the last week in response to a Northern California refinery fire, but that refinery reportedly reopened on Tuesday, according to the Auto Club’s Weekend Gas Watch. The average price for self-serve regular gasoline in California is $4.92, which is ten cents higher than a week ago and 33 cents lower than a year ago today. The average national price is $3.19, which is four cents higher than a week ago and 41 cents lower than on this date last year.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $4.82 per gallon, which is six cents higher than last week and 40 cents less than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $4.83, which is eight cents higher than last week and 41 cents lower than this time last year.
On the Central Coast, the average price is $4.79, which is seven cents more than last week and 43 cents lower than last year. In Riverside, the average per-gallon price is $4.69, which is eight cents more than last week and 45 cents lower than a year ago. In Bakersfield, the $4.75 average price is six cents higher than last week and 48 cents lower than a year ago today.
“According to Oil Price Information Service, Los Angeles wholesale gasoline prices surged upward after the May 5 fire but dropped sharply after the refinery resumed operations earlier this week,” said Auto Club spokesperson Doug Shupe. “Hopefully that means pump prices will stop increasing before a record number of Southern Californians fill up for their Memorial Day Weekend getaways.“
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on May 15, averages are:
