LA County, Orange County gas prices reach record high - again
LOS ANGELES - The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County rose Tuesday to a record for the second consecutive day, increasing 2.3 cents to $6.489.
The average price has risen 32 consecutive days, increasing $1.243, including seven-tenths of a cent Monday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. Monday's increase was the smallest since a half- cent increase Sept. 19.
The average price is 53 cents more than one week ago, $1.207 higher than one month ago and $2.07 greater than one year ago.
The streak of increases follows a run of 78 decreases in 80 days totaling $1.216 that began June 15, one day after the average price rose to a then-record $6.462.
The Orange County average price rose 2.2 cents to $6.445, topping the previous record of $6.429 set Saturday. It dropped seven-tenths of a cent Sunday and rose one-tenth of a cent Monday.
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The Orange County average price has risen 14 of the past 15 days, increasing $1.049. It is 50.8 cents more than one week ago, $1.224 higher than one month ago, and $2.067 greater than one year ago.
"It's a positive sign to see that we no longer have double-digit increases daily and hopefully we will start to see prices level off and move lower," Doug Shupe, the Automobile Club of Southern California's corporate communications manager, told City News Service.
"However, that will depend on when our local refineries can complete planned maintenance and recover from unexpected outages and be fully operational again. Winter-blend fuel entering the marketplace sooner than Nov. 1 could also move pump prices lower in the coming weeks."
Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a letter to the California Air Resources Board on Friday directing it to take whatever steps are necessary to allow refineries to begin making and distributing winter-blend gasoline, which is cheaper to produce. Stations normally cannot start selling winter blend gas until Nov. 1.
The national average price rose for the 13th time in 14 days, increasing six-tenths of a cent to $3.805. The average price has increased 13.1 cents over the past 14 days, including three-tenths of a cent Monday. It rose for 11 consecutive days, dropped four-tenths of a cent Sunday and resumed increasing Monday.
The national average price is 5.8 cents more than one week ago, 1.6 cents higher than one month ago and 60.5 cents greater than one year ago.
The national average price is $1.211 less than the record $5.016 set June 14.
The run of increases follows a 98-day streak of decreases totaling $1.342 that began the day after the record high was set.