LOS ANGELES, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- April 6, 2007 -- Gas prices continued rising by almost a penny a day in most Southern California cities over the past week, coming within 15 cents of the all-time record prices set last May, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.260, which is 5.5 cents higher than last week, 38 cents higher than last month, and 42 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.291, which is 6.6 cents above last week's price, 38 cents above last month, and 47 cents above last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.365, up 5.6 cents from last week, 35 cents above last month, and 44 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $3.287, 6.3 cents above last week, 40 cents higher than last month, and 45 cents higher than last year.
"California still has by far the highest gas prices in the country, but other states' prices rose even more rapidly than California over the last week, and Nevada has just become the second state with a gas price average over $3 a gallon," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "Crude oil prices have come down in the last week, but recent international incidents in the Middle East have added another layer of volatility to the market."
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., April 6:
One-week
Area Regular change Record Price
Los Angeles - Long Beach $ 3.260 +5.5 cents $ 3.402 (5/13/2006)
Orange County $ 3.234 +5.3 cents $ 3.371 (5/17/2006)
San Diego $ 3.291 +6.6 cents $ 3.438 (5/15/2006)
Santa Barbara - Santa Maria -
Lompoc $ 3.365 +5.6 cents $ 3.491 (5/16/2006)
Riverside - San Bernardino $ 3.287 +6.3 cents $ 3.445 (5/15/2006)
Bakersfield $ 3.288 +6.9 cents $ 3.450 (5/16/2006)
Las Vegas, NV $ 2.951 +7.6 cents $ 3.176 (5/17/2006)
Contact Information: Contact: Marie Montgomery/Carol Thorp (714) 885-2333