Menu More MORE
AAA
Roadside... Roadside Assistance

Auto Club: October Won't be a Treat for Gas Prices

Weekly Fuel Prices Report

(LOS ANGELES, October 1, 2004) — October culminates with Halloween, but the beginning of the month will feature no treats at the gas pumps, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. The aftermath of four Florida hurricanes pushed wholesale gasoline and crude oil futures prices to near record heights and that could send retail prices soaring over the next couple of weeks.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles–Long Beach area is $2.113 a gallon, which is 3.2 cents higher than last week, three cents higher than last month and 15 cents above last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.149, which is 3.2 cents higher than last week, four cents above last month and 19 cents higher than last year. On the central coast, the average price is $2.264, which is up 1.9 cents from last week, the same as last month and 22 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $2.139, which is up 2.5 cents from last week, four cents above last month and 20 cents above last year.

"Wholesale gasoline and crude oil prices spiked as four hurricanes roared through Florida and the Gulf Coast. During that time, our gas prices continued lower," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "Now the pendulum swing of high prices has hit California and there could be a couple of weeks of sharp increases before the pendulum swings back in the other direction."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., October 1.

Area

Regular

Change from
last week

Record Price

Los Angeles–Long Beach

$2.113

+ 3.2 cents

$2.368 (05/28/2004)

Orange County

$2.110

+ 2.9 cents

$2.353 (06/01/2004)

San Diego

$2.149

+ 3.2 cents

$2.373 (05/26/2004)

Santa Barbara–Santa Maria– Lompoc

$2.264

+ 1.9 cents

$2.489 (05/29/2004)

Riverside–San Bernardino

$2.139

+ 2.5 cents

$2.399 (06/01/2004)

Bakersfield

$2.160

+ 5.6 cents

$2.383 (06/01/2004)

Las Vegas, NV

$2.084

+ 4.2 cents

$2.279 (05/26/2004)

###

CST 1016202-80 Copyright © Automobile Club of Southern California. All Rights Reserved.
The Automobile Club of Southern California is a member club affiliated with the American Automobile Association (AAA) national federation and serves members in the following California counties: Inyo, Imperial, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, and Ventura.