The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.339 per gallon, which is one penny more than last week, 12 cents higher than last month, and $1.55 less than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.351, which is three-tenths of a cent less than last week’s price, nine cents above last month, and $1.59 lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.444, up nine-tenths of one penny from last week, 12 cents above last month, and $1.56 below last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $2.324, which is seven-tenths of a cent higher than last week, 11 cents more than last month, and $1.59 less than last year.
“The normal factors that typically push prices up in the spring are being countered by continued weakness in the economy, which has dampened demand,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “It remains to be seen whether this week’s news of the swine flu spread will place even more downward pressure on gas prices.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 1 p.m. on April 30.
| Area | Regular | One-week change | Record Price |
Los Angeles – Long Beach | $2.339 | +1 cent | $4.626 (6/21/08) |
| Orange County | $2.326 | +0.7 cent | $4.598 (6/19/08) |
| San Diego | $2.351 | -0.3 cent | $4.630 (6/19/08) |
Santa Barbara – Santa Maria – Lompoc | $2.444 | +0.9 cent | $4.709 (6/21/08) |
Riverside – San Bernardino | $2.324 | +0.7 cent | $4.614 (6/22/08) |
| Bakersfield | $2.420 | +2.2 cents | $4.591 (6/24/08) |
| Ventura | $2.358 | +0.3 cent | $4.625 (6/18/08) |