Most Southern California drivers saw dropping prices at the pump over the last week and further price declines are expected, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The retail statewide average is $3.14 a gallon for regular unleaded, a penny lower than a week ago.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.17 per gallon, which is two cents lower than last week, 15 cents above last month, and 39 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $3.13, which is two cents less than last week, 14 cents more than last month, and 37 cents more than this time last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.15, which is down three cents from last week, 13 cents higher than last month, and 34 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price is $3.11, which is two cents less than last week, 17 cents more than last month, and 39 cents more than at this time last year.
“Local wholesale prices for gasoline have almost dropped back down to where they were before Hurricane Harvey-related supply concerns began driving them upward on Aug. 24, giving retail prices space to move back down by 10 to 15 cents a gallon if current trends hold,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “Unfortunately, as we've seen with prior gas price spikes, pump prices are much slower to drop than they are to rise. Now is a really good time to make sure you pay the lowest gas price by shopping around using the free AAA Mobile app.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Sept. 21, averages are:
Area |
Regular |
1-week change |
Record Price |
Los Angeles – Long Beach |
$3.17 |
-2 cents |
$4.70 (10/9/12) |
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Orange County |
$3.14 |
-3 cents |
$4.69 (10/8/12) |
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San Diego |
$3.13 |
-2 cents |
$4.72 (10/8/12) |
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Santa Barbara – Santa Maria –Lompoc |
$3.15 |
-3 cents |
$4.70 (6/21/08) |
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Riverside/San Bernardino |
$3.11 |
-2 cents |
$4.68 (10/8/12) |
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Ventura |
$3.13 |
-2 cents |
$4.68 (10/7/12) |
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Bakersfield |
$3.10 |
+1 cent |
$4.64 (10/9/12) |