LA Auto Club: Gas Prices Bottoming Out

LOS ANGELES--Dec. 23, 2005--The 12-week-long trend of lower gasoline prices may be ending for Southern California motorists as most areas in the region experience only small decreases at the pump this week, 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 $2.263, which is 2 cents lower than last week, 25 cents lower than last month and 18 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.299 -- 1.7 cents below last week's price, 23 cents below last month and 18 cents above last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.416, down 2.2 cents from last week, 21 cents lower than last month and 18 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $2.284, down 2.9 cents from last week, 25 cents below last month and 19 cents higher than last year.

"Prices have fallen 25 percent since their record highs in September," Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp said. "After the New Year, motorists can expect prices to begin rising as refineries cut back production to conduct their annual maintenance and begin the process of producing the summer blend of gas, which must be completed by the end of February."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., Dec. 23, 2005:

Area                         Regular  Change from      Record Price
                                       last week
Los Angeles-Long Beach       $2.263    -2.0 cents    $2.999 (9/6/2005)

Orange County                $2.231    -1.4 cents    $2.970 (9/6/2005)

San Diego                    $2.299    -1.7 cents    $3.060 (9/5/2005)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
 Lompoc                      $2.416    -2.2 cents    $3.111 (9/7/2005)

Riverside-San Bernardino     $2.284    -2.9 cents    $3.030 (9/9/2005)

Bakersfield                  $2.331    -2.4 cents    $3.167 (9/9/2005)

Las Vegas                    $2.193    -0.4 cents    $2.968 (9/8/2005)