LA Auto Club: Gas Prices Rise Past $2.50 Per Gallon in the Fourth Week of Increases

LOS ANGELES--Jan. 27, 2006--Gasoline prices in most of the region rose past the $2.50 per gallon mark as motorists endured the fourth consecutive week of increases at the gas pump, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch. Since the beginning of 2006 the average price in the L.A. metro area has increased 27 cents per gallon.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.509, which is 5.9 cents higher than last week, 27 cents higher than last month and 53 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.548 -- 4.2 cents above last week's price, 26 cents above last month and 55 cents above last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.651, up 5.9 cents from last week, 25 cents higher than last month and 53 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $2.529, up 5.3 cents from last week, 28 cents above last month and 53 cents higher than last year.

"Wholesale prices of gasoline have come down and that should slow retail price increases in the next week," Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp said. "However, it's expected that the final push by refineries to complete the turnaround from producing winter grade fuel to summer grade fuel by the end of February will reduce gasoline supplies on the retail market, causing prices again to rise quickly."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., Jan. 27, 2006:

Area                       Regular   Change from last   Record Price
                                          week
Los Angeles-Long
 Beach                      $2.509       +5.9 cents  $2.999 (9/6/2005)

Orange County               $2.479       +7.1 cents  $2.970 (9/6/2005)

San Diego                   $2.548       +4.2 cents  $3.060 (9/5/2005)

Santa Barbara-Santa
 Maria-Lompoc               $2.651       +5.9 cents  $3.111 (9/7/2005)

Riverside-San
 Bernardino                 $2.529       +5.3 cents  $3.030 (9/9/2005)

Bakersfield                 $2.546      +7.92 cents  $3.167 (9/9/2005)

Las Vegas                   $2.366       +2.4 cents  $2.968 (9/8/2005)