Southern California Gas Prices Continue Nose Dive
17 January 2001
Southern California Gas Prices Continue Nose Dive
LOS ANGELES--Jan. 16, 2001--Southern California gas prices dipped significantly in the last month, continuing their four-month downward trend, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Fuel Gauge report.The Southern California average price for regular unleaded fuel is $1.60, a 10-cent decline from last month's $1.70 average price. The lowest average price is in La Habra, at $1.40 a gallon, and the highest Southern California price is in Bishop, with an average of $1.80 a gallon. Northern California's prices are higher, although they also have dropped about 10 cents a gallon since last month.
The average is $1.86 in San Francisco, $1.77 in San Jose and $1.66 in Sacramento.
Nationally, gas prices have risen slightly. The national average for regular unleaded is $1.473, up .4 cents from $1.469 on Dec. 16, and 18.3 cents higher per gallon than last year.
Prices have continued downward in California at least in part because of reformulated gasoline regulations. California gasoline uses different additives in the winter to reduce its volatility in colder temperatures, and that "winter blend" must be switched out of gasoline supplies in February. Analysts say the lower prices are an effort to unload the winter-blend gasoline by next month.
Once that trend ends, Southern California prices may be headed upward again. OPEC nations have indicated that they may decide on Wednesday to cut crude oil production, which will likely drive prices back up. Crude oil prices had sunk as low as $26 per barrel, but now have rebounded and are approaching $28 per barrel.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
Unl Pre Imperial County El Centro 1.685 1.824 Inyo County Bishop 1.799 1.986 Kern County Bakersfield 1.599 1.999 Ridgecrest 1.759 1.776 Los Angeles County Alhambra 1.499 1.734 Arcadia 1.534 1.759 Burbank 1.537 1.751 Culver City 1.572 1.692 Glendale 1.511 1.619 Glendora 1.459 1.559 Inglewood 1.547 1.679 Lancaster 1.559 1.769 Long Beach 1.522 1.714 Los Angeles 1.545 1.693 Manhattan Beach 1.579 1.842 Montebello 1.544 1.719 Santa Monica 1.547 1.686 Van Nuys 1.533 1.677 Whittier 1.494 1.699 Woodland Hills 1.542 1.751 Orange County Anaheim 1.521 1.706 Fullerton 1.499 1.726 Huntington Bch 1.467 1.579 La Habra 1.404 1.579 Laguna Beach 1.599 1.782 Newport Beach 1.606 1.879 San Clemente 1.687 1.919 Tustin 1.549 1.679 Riverside County Blythe 1.781 1.939 Hemet 1.539 1.719 Palm Springs 1.642 1.795 Riverside 1.511 1.632 San Bernardino County Redlands 1.538 1.674 San Bernardino 1.544 1.749 Victorville 1.551 1.724 San Diego County Chula Vista 1.702 1.894 Del Mar 1.741 1.924 Escondido 1.723 1.909 Oceanside 1.738 1.879 San Diego 1.729 1.901 San Luis Obispo County San Luis Obispo 1.669 1.929 Santa Barbara County Lompoc 1.659 1.829 Santa Barbara 1.798 1.906 Santa Maria 1.674 1.799 Tulare County Porterville 1.624 1.854 Visalia 1.592 1.779 Ventura County Ventura 1.679 1.836 Southern Cal. Avg. 1.599 1.775