Southern California gas prices have posted a small weekly increase, although some areas have seen slight price drops in recent days, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch. The state average is $3.651 a gallon for regular today – seven-tenths of one cent higher than last week.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.749 per gallon, which is 2 cents more than last week, 16 cents higher than last month, and half a cent higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.711, 1.1 cents above last week, 13 cents above last month, and 3 cents lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.736, up 1.1 cents from last week, 12 cents higher than a month ago, and 4 cents less than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price is $3.702, up 1.2 cents from last week, 16 cents higher than last month, and 2 cents less than last year.
“Local gas prices are experiencing a bit of a plateau right now, although Los Angeles drivers continue to pay the highest prices of any major metropolitan area of the state except for San Luis Obispo,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “Oil industry analysts say that this year, refinery maintenance needs are far more extensive in Southern California than in Northern California. That reduces production capacity, so prices are higher in the Los Angeles area for now.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Jan. 24, averages are:
Area | Regular | One-week change | Record Price |
Los Angeles – Long Beach | $3.749 | +2.0 cents | $4.705 (10/9/12) |
Orange County | $3.718 | +1.2 cents | $4.690 (10/8/12) |
San Diego | $3.711 | +1.1 cents | $4.725 (10/8/12) |
Santa Barbara – Santa Maria – Lompoc | $3.736 | +1.1 cents | $4.709 (6/21/08) |
Riverside – San Bernardino | $3.702 | +1.2 cents | $4.688 (10/8/12) |
Bakersfield | $3.633 | +0.9 cent | $4.648 (10/9/12) |
Ventura | $3.731 | +0.6 cent | $4.689 (10/7/12) |