LA Auto Club: Gas Prices Slightly Higher This Week, but Pause May Not Last Long

LOS ANGELES--Feb. 10, 2006--Gas prices largely held steady throughout Southern California this week but still inched up slightly to mark the sixth consecutive week of increases, 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 $2.606, which is 1.6 cents higher than last week, 28 cents higher than last month and 51 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.612 -- 1.3 cents above last week's price, 22 cents above last month and 52 cents above last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.738, up 0.4 cents from last week, 24 cents higher than last month and 52 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $2.624, up 1.8 cents from last week, 27 cents above last month and 53 cents higher than last year.

"Wholesale gasoline prices have dropped across the country and West Coast gasoline inventory is strong," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "That actually led to a slight decline in pump prices in the last few days, although overall averages are still higher than at this time last week. However, oil industry analysts expect wholesale prices to start heading up again once the more expensive summer-grade fuel starts going on the market at the end of February."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., Feb. 10, 2006:

Area                            Regular  Change from   Record Price
                                          last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach           $2.606  +1.6 cents  $2.999 (9/6/2005)

Orange County                    $2.565  +1.8 cents  $2.970 (9/6/2005)

San Diego                        $2.612  +1.3 cents  $3.060 (9/5/2005)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
 Lompoc                          $2.738  +0.4 cents  $3.111 (9/7/2005)

Riverside-San Bernardino         $2.624  +1.8 cents  $3.030 (9/9/2005)

Bakersfield                      $2.618  +3.2 cents  $3.167 (9/9/2005)

Las Vegas                        $2.475  +2.9 cents  $2.968 (9/8/2005)