Gas prices throughout the region continued to slowly increase this past week, but recent drops in wholesale prices may halt or slow these increases, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. Today’s retail statewide average is $3.14 a gallon for regular unleaded, which is four cents higher than last week.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.13 per gallon, which is up three cents compared to last week, 10 cents higher than a month ago, and 63 cents lower than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $3.16, which is four cents higher than last Thursday, 13 cents more than last month, and 64 cents lower than last year.
On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.15, which is two cents higher than last week, nine cents higher than last month, and 69 cents lower than last year. In Riverside, the average per-gallon price is $3.10, which is three cents higher than last week, 12 cents higher than last month, and 56 cents lower than last year. In San Bernardino, the $3.11 average price is three cents higher than last week, 15 cents higher than last month, and 60 cents lower than a year ago today.
“While gas prices continue to push up due to increased demand over the past few weeks, we have seen wholesale prices drop in the past two days,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “The drop is being attributed to state orders to re-close certain establishments. We’ll know in a few days if decreases in wholesale prices are passed onto prices at the pump.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on July 16, averages are:
