Southern California gas prices barely moved in most areas over the past week and have been staying unusually stable for the spring season over the past month, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The retail state average is $2.778 a gallon for regular today, five-tenths of a penny more than last Thursday.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.834 per gallon, which is 1.1 cents higher than last week, three cents less than last month, and 69 cents lower than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $2.799, which is 1.4 cents more than last week, 1.5 cents lower than last month, and 66 cents less than this time last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.846, 2.4 cents more than last week, two-tenths of one cent higher than a month ago, and 60 cents less than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price is $2.802, no change from last week, one cent less than last month, and 64 cents less than last year.
“The ExxonMobil Torrance refinery, closed after a February 2015 explosion and expected to begin restart operations this month, has not yet done so,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “The refinery needs to be fully operational with no issues for 30 consecutive days before a pending sale can be completed. As long as that supply source is not available in Southern California, gas prices are expected to remain at their current highest levels in the country. As long as the other local refineries remain fully operational, we could continue to see a rare period of stability in Southern California gas prices.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on April 28, averages are:
Area |
Regular |
One-week change |
Record Price |
Los Angeles – Long Beach |
$2.834 |
+1.1 cents |
$4.705 (10/9/12) |
|
|
|
|
Orange County |
$2.814 |
+0.1 cent |
$4.690 (10/8/12) |
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|
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San Diego |
$2.799 |
+1.4 cents |
$4.725 (10/8/12) |
|
|
|
|
Santa Barbara – Santa Maria – Lompoc |
$2.846 |
+2.4 cents |
$4.709 (6/21/08) |
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|
|
Riverside – San Bernardino |
$2.802 |
No change |
$4.688 (10/8/12) |
|
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|
|
Ventura |
$2.806 |
-1.2 cents |
$4.689 (10/7/12) |
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Bakersfield |
$2.782 |
+0.8 cent |
$4.648 (10/9/12) |