The Votes Are In!
2024 Readers' Choice is back, bigger and better than ever!
View Winners → Business Jul 01, 2023
| Photo by TonyTheTigersSon/Envato Elements
by
share with
By Steven Herbert
The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County rose 1 cent Saturday to $4.90, the second consecutive increase following a run of 15 decreases in 18 days totaling 8.6 cents.
The average gasoline price is seven-tenths of a cent less than one week ago, 5.4 cents lower than one month ago and $1.408 less than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. It has dropped $1.594 since rising to a record $6.494 on Oct. 5.
The Orange County average price rose for the third consecutive day following a run of 15 decreases in 18 days totaling 10.4 cents, increasing 1.2 cents to $4.835, one day after increasing four-tenths of a cent. It is three-tenths of a cent more than one week ago, but 7.8 cents less than one month ago and $1.386 lower than one year ago.
The Orange County average price has dropped $1.624 since rising to a record $6.459 on Oct. 5.
The annual increase in the state gas tax to fund maintenance to the state highway system and local street and road system went into effect Saturday. The increase is 4 cents per gallon.
“Gas prices have been trending down in the last couple of weeks so drivers may not see much of an increase in prices,” Doug Shupe, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s corporate communications manager, told City News Service. “However, wholesale Los Angeles gas prices did rise by about nine cents (Friday) so if that trend sustains itself next week, we could see increases both from the tax and the gas cost itself.
“Last year gas prices were rapidly decreasing from their records of near $6.50 a gallon so the gas tax increase was not even noticed,” Shupe continued. “In years prior to that, gas prices gradually rose after July 1 over a couple of days by the amount of the tax increase, but sometimes fell shortly afterward.”
The national average gasoline price dropped for the eighth consecutive day, decreasing a half-cent to $3.538. It has dropped 4.6 cents over the past eight days, including six-tenths of a cent Friday.
The national average price is 4 cents less than one week ago, 3.6 cents lower than one month ago and $1.304 less than one year ago. It has dropped $1.478 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.
