Gas prices in most Southern California areas dropped by nearly a penny a day in the past week, moving closer to the $4-a-gallon average mark, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The state average is $3.978 a gallon for regular today – 4.7 cents lower than last week.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $4.042 per gallon, which is 5.1 cents less than last week, 2 cents lower than last month, and 20 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $4.019, which is 5.1 cents below last week, 2 cents below last month, and 19 cents higher than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $4.103, which is 3.3 cents below last week, 1 cent higher than a month ago, and 23 cents more than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price is $4.009, down 4.9 cents from last week, 3 cents lower than last month, and 20 cents more than last year.
“It appears that gas prices are returning to their normal pattern of dropping over the summer, after a couple of relatively short-lived but unusual June and July price spikes,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “Wholesale prices have remained relatively stable for the past two weeks, and as long as that continues, there will be continued incentive for pump prices to drop.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Aug. 1, averages are:
Area |
Regular |
One-week change
|
Record Price
|
Los Angeles – Long Beach |
$4.042 |
-5.1 cents |
$4.705 (10/9/12) |
|
|
|
|
Orange County |
$4.024 |
-5.3 cents |
$4.690 (10/8/12) |
|
|
|
|
San Diego |
$4.019 |
-5.1 cents |
$4.725 (10/8/12) |
|
|
|
|
Santa Barbara – Santa Maria – Lompoc |
$4.103 |
-3.3 cents |
$4.709 (6/21/08) |
|
|
|
|
Riverside – San Bernardino |
$4.009 |
-4.9 cents |
$4.688 (10/8/12) |
|
|
|
|
Bakersfield |
$3.953 |
-3.8 cents |
$4.648 (10/9/12) |
|
|
|
|
Ventura |
$4.041 |
-5.3 cents |
$4.689 (10/7/12) |