Auto Club Tells Where to Buy the Cheapest Gas

    LOS ANGELES--May 18, 2001--The Los Angeles-Long Beach area continues to set new record highs for the average price of gasoline.
    But other areas in Southern California, Southern Nevada and Arizona are seeing prices begin to decline, according to the Weekend Gas Watch, compiled by the Automobile Club of Southern California. The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for motoring trips.
    In the Los Angeles-Long Beach area, the average price of a gallon of unleaded regular gas stood at $2.023, a record level that is 27.7 cents higher than the price a month ago. In San Diego, the average price was $2.008 per gallon, lower than the record of $2.020 set May 16.
    In the Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc area the average price was $2.033 per gallon, also slightly lower from the May 16 record of $2.069. In Las Vegas the average price of $1.843 was higher than the previous day's price of $1.841 (the record for Las Vegas is $1.885 set March 27, 2000) and in the Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz., area the average price was $1.701, also lower than the record of $1.712 set May 16.
    "Based on recent and substantial increases in oil and gasoline inventories and more refineries increasing output, supply is beginning to catch up to demand," said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. "Hopefully this will result in lower prices at the pump, but the amount of any decrease and the timing is difficult to predict."

Average prices as of 12:01 a.m. May 18.

Area                                 Regular   Mid-Grade    Premium

Los Angeles-Long Beach               $2.023      $2.153      $2.189

San Diego                            $2.008      $2.138      $2.173

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc     $2.033      $2.164      $2.200

Las Vegas                            $1.843      $1.943      $2.013

Phoenix-Mesa                         $1.701      $1.774      $1.876

    While gasoline prices are declining in several areas, Weekend Gas Watch noted that several cities consistently have had lower average prices compared with the rest of Southern California over the past year. The cities and gas prices for regular self-serve unleaded as noted in the Auto Club's May 15 Fuel Gauge Report are:

1.  La Habra     $1.886
2.  Alhambra     $1.927
3.  Anaheim      $1.934

    The city with the highest average gasoline price in the state and the nation is Blythe, with a price for unleaded regular of $2.170 per gallon.
    If a weekend traveler is dismayed by the price of gasoline at a destination, it is probably not worth the risk of driving on a low tank trying to find a cheaper price. The difference between filling a 13-gallon tank with the lowest price ($1.886) and filling a tank with the highest-priced gas ($2.170) is $3.69.