Auto Club: Average Gasoline Price Declines a Nickel Over the Past Week

LOS ANGELES--Nov. 30, 2001--For the 11th consecutive week the prices of fuel declined throughout Southern California, Nevada and Arizona, 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.

Currently, the average price of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $1.180 per gallon. This is 5 cents lower than the price on Thanksgiving Day and nearly 86 cents below the record high set seven months ago. In San Diego, the price is 3.4 cents lower than last week's level. Motorists in the central coast are enjoying an average that's 4.6 cents below last week's price.

``Last winter and spring when prices spiked so dramatically, many people who had been buying more expensive grades of gasoline for their cars switched to regular grade,'' said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring.

``Now that prices show no signs of bottoming out, some of those people might be tempted to buy the more expensive grades again, thinking that they are better for their car's engine. Remember that the overwhelming majority of passenger vehicles are designed to run on regular gas.

``People using mid-grade or premium in vehicles designed for regular are incurring extra expense unnecessarily and might actually lower their fuel efficiency. Motorists with questions about which grade of gasoline to use should consult their owners manuals.''

Average prices as of 12:01 a.m., Nov. 30:

Area Regular Change from Record Price last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach $1.180 -5.0 cents $2.036 (5/25)

San Diego $1.372 -3.4 cents $2.025 (5/29)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria- Lompoc $1.290 -4.6 cents $2.069 (5/16)

Las Vegas $1.241 -1.6 cents $1.885 (3/27/00)

Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz. $1.189 -3.5 cents $1.720 (5/30)