Auto Club: Lower Gas Prices for the Beginning of the Summer Driving Season

LOS ANGELES--May 27, 2005--Gasoline prices continued lower for the sixth consecutive week and motorists should see lower prices throughout Southern California for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, 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 $2.448, which is 4.7 cents lower than last week, 16 cents lower than last month and nine cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.445, a five cent decline from last week, 15 cents below last month and seven cents above last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.575, down 4.7 cents from last week, 15 cents lower than last month and 10 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $2.439, down 5.3 cents from last week, 18 cents below last month and four cents above last year.

"High prices through the winter and spring have tempered demand for gas. When you combine lower demand with ample supply, that is a recipe for lower prices at our local pumps," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "There may be some retailers who will bump up their prices during the holiday weekend, but the trend through the entire region is for lower prices and that should continue for the next few weeks."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., May 27, 2005.

Area                           Regular  Change from   Record Price
                                         last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach          $2.448  -4.7 cents  $2.625 (4/13/2005)

Orange County                   $2.445  -4.6 cents  $2.605 (4/21/2005)

San Diego                       $2.445  -5.0 cents  $2.626 (4/12/2005)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
 Lompoc                         $2.575  -4.7 cents  $2.730 (4/29/2005)

Riverside-San Bernardino        $2.439  -5.3 cents  $2.649 (4/13/2005)

Bakersfield                     $2.422  -5.0 cents  $2.682 (4/22/2005)

Las Vegas                       $2.315  -4.7 cents  $2.534 (4/14/2005)