LA Auto Club: Gasoline Prices Continue Climbing as New Record Prices Are Set
LOS ANGELES--April 13, 2004--The average monthly price of regular self-serve gasoline in Southern California climbed another 6 cents from March to reach an all-time April high of $2.261 per gallon, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's monthly Fuel Gauge Report. While this is a record monthly high for the region, daily averages during the past week hit record highs of $2.233 in Los Angeles and $2.240 in San Diego."The relationship between strong demand for gas and the ability to meet that demand remains the key issue," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "In the past month, there have been a few small refinery problems that, in normal times, would not affect prices in a significant way. But because our inventories of gasoline are so slim, any interruption in supply has the effect of sending wholesale price higher, causing a chain reaction at the retail pump. The Auto Club is urging motorists to conserve two gallons of gasoline per week by driving an average of 44 fewer miles. This will help bring demand more in line with supply and possibly bring down prices."
The Southern California average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline is $2.261, up from $2.200 on March 16, 2004. The previous highest April Fuel Gauge Report price was in 2003 at $2.128.
The lowest average price in Southern California is Porterville, where drivers can pump regular self-serve gasoline for an average $2.16, and the highest price is in Blythe, where regular goes for an average $2.42. San Francisco Bay-area motorists now pay an average of $2.30, up from $2.28 in March. Nationally, prices are up 6 cents since the March AAA survey and now are at a record high average of $1.78 per gallon.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
County/City Unleaded Premium Unl. Premium
March 16 March 16
Imperial County
El Centro 2.311 2.499 2.234 2.439
Inyo County
Bishop 2.309 2.499 2.199 n/a
Kern County
Bakersfield 2.194 2.289 2.127 2.309
Ridgecrest 2.263 2.358 2.143 2.325
Los Angeles County
Alhambra 2.175 2.299 2.130 2.344
Arcadia 2.228 2.499 2.178 2.399
Burbank 2.208 2.369 2.140 2.309
Culver City 2.317 2.659 2.277 2.446
Glendale 2.223 2.566 2.139 2.308
Glendora 2.188 2.382 2.175 2.424
Inglewood 2.219 2.439 2.172 2.339
Lancaster 2.214 2.557 2.182 2.351
Long Beach 2.214 2.382 2.171 2.350
Los Angeles 2.240 2.435 2.183 2.367
Manhattan Beach 2.320 2.519 2.255 2.429
Montebello 2.284 2.509 2.213 2.399
Santa Clarita 2.239 2.582 2.186 2.355
Santa Monica 2.324 2.667 2.235 2.499
Van Nuys 2.208 2.366 2.161 2.324
Whittier 2.214 2.412 2.183 2.352
Woodland Hills 2.262 2.422 2.193 2.439
Orange County
Anaheim 2.197 2.382 2.135 2.333
Fullerton 2.216 2.366 2.145 2.304
Huntington Beach 2.214 2.424 2.160 2.343
La Habra 2.162 2.373 2.115 2.299
Laguna Beach 2.339 2.549 2.279 2.463
Newport Beach 2.314 2.519 2.247 2.449
San Clemente 2.263 2.489 2.216 2.439
Tustin 2.265 2.489 2.203 2.393
Riverside County
Blythe 2.417 2.634 2.288 2.522
Hemet 2.231 2.434 2.177 2.349
Palm Springs 2.395 2.609 2.317 2.499
Riverside 2.222 2.389 2.169 2.269
San Bernardino County
Redlands 2.379 2.639 2.269 2.453
San Bernardino 2.319 2.579 2.229 2.413
Victorville 2.349 2.609 2.249 2.433
San Diego County
Chula Vista 2.274 2.493 2.254 2.559
Del Mar 2.292 2.359 2.289 2.379
Escondido 2.164 2.429 2.131 2.306
Oceanside 2.245 2.469 2.202 2.439
San Diego 2.262 2.451 2.219 2.419
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo 2.268 2.464 2.224 n/a
Santa Barbara County
Lompoc 2.334 2.500 2.256 2.538
Santa Barbara 2.318 2.484 2.277 2.559
Santa Maria 2.305 2.471 2.231 2.513
Tulare County
Porterville 2.159 2.325 2.149 2.431
Visalia 2.199 2.365 2.095 2.229
Ventura County
Ventura 2.253 2.442 2.187 2.359
So. Cal. Avg. 2.261 2.468 2.200 2.395
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.