Local Gas Prices Increase Slightly in Some Regions

Following the annual changeover to winter blend gasoline which usually precipitate price declines, the opposite occurred during the past week.  Price drops slowed in some Southern California regions and reversed course in other regions, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The retail state average is $2.839 a gallon for regular today, seven-tenths of a cent higher than last week.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.952 per gallon, which is 2.4 cents higher than last week, 10 cents less than last month, and 44 cents lower than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $2.897, which is 1.9 cents more than last week, 10 cents lower than last month, and 39 cents less than this time last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.929, 0.7 cents less than last week, 9 cents lower than a month ago, and 42 cents less than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price is $2.871, 1.4 cents higher than last week, 10 cents less than last month, and 39 cents less than last year.

“We saw a nearly 12-cent-per-gallon price increase on the LA wholesale market from last Thursday to Tuesday, and then they dropped 10 cents yesterday,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “The increase explains why some drivers may have seen price increases at the pump earlier this week.  Since wholesale prices have since dropped again, retail prices should follow.”

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Nov. 5, averages are: 

Bakersfield                                               $2.867      -1.7 cents    $4.648 (10/9/12)