LA Auto Club: Gas Prices Continue Trickling Downward

LOS ANGELES--Dec. 30, 2005--Gas prices continued downward for the 13th consecutive week, but at a continued slower pace, indicating that the decreases may soon end, 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 $2.226, which is 3.7 cents lower than last week, 22 cents lower than last month and 19 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.284 -- 1.5 cents below last week's price, 18 cents below last month and 22 cents above last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.39, down 2.6 cents from last week, 18 cents lower than last month and 22 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $2.253, down 3.1 cents from last week, 22 cents below last month and 21 cents higher than last year.

"After several weeks of declines, California wholesale gasoline prices turned up sharply this week, and that could soon translate into increases at the pump," Auto Club spokesperson Paul Gonzales said. "The higher prices are fueled by scheduled January refinery maintenance and the annual switch from winter to summer gas blends, which takes place in February."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., Dec. 30, 2005:

Area                        Regular   Change from      Record Price
                                       last week
Los Angeles-Long Beach       $2.226    -3.7 cents    $2.999 (9/6/2005)

Orange County                $2.190    -4.1 cents    $2.970 (9/6/2005)

San Diego                    $2.284    -1.5 cents    $3.060 (9/5/2005)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
 Lompoc                      $2.390    -2.6 cents    $3.111 (9/7/2005)

Riverside-San Bernardino     $2.253    -3.1 cents    $3.030 (9/9/2005)

Bakersfield                  $2.327    -0.5 cents    $3.167 (9/9/2005)

Las Vegas                    $2.168    -2.5 cents    $2.968 (9/8/2005)