LA Auto Club: Average Monthly Gas Prices Stop Drop, Begin Climb; Most Cities See Price Increases

LOS ANGELES--Jan. 13, 2004--The average price of regular gasoline in Southern California stopped its three-month descent and climbed an average of four cents during the past month, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's monthly Fuel Gauge Report. Higher crude oil prices and reduced production at California refineries that are performing annual maintenance have helped to push prices up.

The Southern California average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline is $1.737, up from $1.699 on Dec. 1, 20036, 2003. The lowest average price in Southern California is La Habra, where drivers can pump regular self-serve unleaded gasoline for an average $1.619, and the highest price is in Blythe, where regular goes for an average $1.945. San Francisco Bay-area motorists now pay an average of $1.71 up from $1.66 in December. Nationally, prices are up nearly nine cents since the November AAA survey and now average $1.56 per gallon.

"Crude oil prices have been increasing for the past two months, so we're not surprised that pump prices have gone up," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "Also, some California refineries have started their winter turnaround and maintenance schedules, so production is slightly lower compared to the prior month. However, we don't know if this is the beginning of the regular spring season price increases or a brief upturn."

In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:

County/City                     1/13 Unl 12/16 Unl 1/13 Pre 12/16 Pre

        Imperial County
El Centro                         1.790     1.793    2.006     2.019

          Inyo County
Bishop                            1.806     1.804    2.009     2.030

          Kern County
Bakersfield                       1.678     1.644    1.812     1.869
Ridgecrest                        1.702     1.782    1.822     2.007

      Los Angeles County
Alhambra                          1.775     1.620    1.799     1.879
Arcadia                           1.710     1.670    1.999     1.879
Burbank                           1.680     1.626    1.979     1.859
Culver City                       1.781     1.709    2.099     1.959
Glendale                          1.699     1.661    1.839     1.839
Glendora                          1.639     1.578    1.859     1.747
Inglewood                         1.751     1.690    1.911     1.879
Lancaster                         1.693     1.672    1.939     1.861
Long Beach                        1.703     1.677    1.876     1.849
Los Angeles                       1.722     1.680    1.942     1.894
Manhattan Beach                   1.841     1.793    1.961     2.009
Montebello                        1.707     1.686    1.929     1.902
Santa Clarita                     1.719     1.679    1.964     1.859
Santa Monica                      1.786     1.723    2.059     2.059
Van Nuys                          1.681     1.641    1.842     1.849
Whittier                          1.690     1.661    1.866     1.874
Woodland Hills                    1.721     1.658    1.909     1.869

         Orange County
Anaheim                           1.629     1.576    1.847     1.768
Fullerton                         1.679     1.611    1.809     1.792
Huntington Beach                  1.668     1.620    1.859     1.772
La Habra                          1.619     1.574    1.739     1.839
Laguna Beach                      1.694     1.746    1.814     2.011
Newport Beach                     1.771     1.723    1.992     1.959
San Clemente                      1.796     1.749    1.992     2.059
Tustin                            1.726     1.680    1.935     1.884

       Riverside County
Blythe                            1.945     1.898    2.059     2.102
Hemet                             1.666     1.630    1.896     1.834
Palm Springs                      1.853     1.784    2.004     1.988
Riverside                         1.692     1.635    1.851     1.881

         San Bernardino County
Redlands                          1.859     1.839    1.783     1.999
San Bernardino                    1.747     1.679    1.885     1.856
Victorville                       1.670     1.636    1.859     1.813

       San Diego County
Chula Vista                       1.776     1.722    2.019     1.979
Del Mar                           1.762     1.722    1.879     1.839
Escondido                         1.669     1.635    1.887     1.866
Oceanside                         1.777     1.727    2.019     1.959
San Diego                         1.743     1.702    1.951     1.928

         San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo                   1.797     1.730    1.917     1.955

          Santa Barbara County
Lompoc                            1.806     1.796    1.926     1.992
Santa Barbara                     1.842     1.803    1.962     1.999
Santa Maria                       1.779     1.749    1.899     1.799

         Tulare County
Porterville                       1.719     1.799    1.842     2.011
Visalia                           1.687     1.677    1.850     1.889

        Ventura County
Ventura                           1.728     1.654    1.922     1.855

So Calif. Avg.                    1.737     1.699    1.913     1.909

The Auto Club's Fuel Gauge Report is based on data gathered from monitoring fuel transactions at 2,800 Southern California gas stations. Oil Price Information Service -- the nation's most comprehensive source of petroleum pricing information, provides the data.