LA, Orange County gasoline prices rise for 17th day in a row

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County rose for the 17th consecutive day Saturday, increasing 2.1 cents to $4.798, its highest amount since Dec. 6.

The average price is 10.1 cents more than one week ago, 29.2 cents higher than one month ago and 1.7 cents more than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It has dropped $1.696 since rising to a record $6.494 on Oct. 5.

The Orange County average gasoline price rose for the 15th time in the last 17 days, increasing 2.1 cents to $4.763, its highest amount since Dec. 2. It is 10.5 cents more than one week ago, 33 cents more than one month ago and two-tenths of a cent higher than one year ago. It has also dropped $1.696 since rising to a record $6.459 on Oct. 5.

“Oil Price Information Service reports that the Wilmington portion of the Phillips 66 Los Angeles refinery reported unplanned flaring last week and several other West Coast refineries are having issues, while the California Energy Commission reported significantly lower inventories of gasoline last week,” Doug Shupe, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s corporate communications manager, said in a statement.

“This time last year in Southern California, gas prices were breaking records almost every day due to inflation and higher oil prices in the ramp-up to the Russia-Ukraine war,” Shupe said. “Unfortunately, today’s average prices are very similar to this time last year because Southern California’s gas price averages remained well above $4 a gallon even at their lowest point of 2022.”

The national average price dropped four-tenths of a cent to $3.417. It is seven-tenths of a cent less than one week ago, 5.8 cents more than one month ago, and 11.1 cents less than one year ago. The national average price has dropped $1.599 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14.

More from Business