Two Months Of Gas Price Drops Bring Annual Average Back Below $4

The year-to-date average gas price for Southern California motorists has dropped back down below $4 a gallon in many areas, but there are signs the reductions may be ending, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The retail state average is $3.836 a gallon for regular today, 2 cents less than last week.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.83 per gallon, which is nine-tenths of a cent less than last week, 13 cents less than last month, and four cents lower than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $3.822, which is half a cent less than last week, 10.4 cents lower than last month, and 3 cents lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.879, 2.5 cents less than last week, 15 cents lower than a month ago, and five cents less than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per-gallon price is $3.789, down 1.7 cents from last week, 14 cents less than last month, and 4 cents less than last year.

“In the Los Angeles area, the year-to-date average price for regular unleaded fuel is now under $4 for the first time since June 25,” said Auto Club spokesman Jeffrey Spring. “However, we have seen some small price upticks in some areas in the last few days. Wholesale prices have remained at about the same level for the last two months and there may be no more room for retail prices to drop further.”

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on Sept. 4, averages are: