Southern California Gas Prices Go On a Roller Coaster Ride
16 February 2000
Southern California Gas Prices Go On a Roller Coaster Ride
LOS ANGELES--Feb. 15, 2000--Following an increase in December and a drop in January, gas prices in Southern California rose again by 4.4 cents per gallon in February, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California Fuel Gauge Report.The February average price of regular self-serve unleaded is $1.429 compared with $1.385 on January 18. The lowest gas prices in Southern California this month can be found in Van Nuys, where the average price for a gallon of self serve unleaded is $1.307.
Prior to a spike in December, prices had been declining since September 1999. However, February prices are still 26.1 cents higher than Feb. 16, 1999, when the average price for regular self serve unleaded was $1.168.
The February statewide average is $1.453 - up from $1.373 in January. Travelers to northern California can expect to pay an average of $1.47 which is four cents higher than January. The February national average is $1.367 cents per gallon - up 7.8 cents compared with January. Nationally, prices have reached a nine-year high.
Gasoline prices have risen to this high level in response to low inventories of crude oil and a per-barrel price of more than $30 reached yesterday. The artificially induced shortage exists because nations aligned with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have deliberately cut back oil production in a successful effort to raise global energy prices.
Industry inventories of both crude oil and refined gasoline are at or below their nine-year lows, indicating pump prices could move higher as gasoline demand increases later this year. On a positive note, energy analysts are beginning to speculate that OPEC will move to increase production at their scheduled March 27 meeting in an effort to forestall any possibility of oil shortages this summer.
During this period of high prices, the Auto Club continues to urge motorists to practice common-sense fuel conservation techniques and to shop aggressively for the lowest price.
In Southern California, the averages for regular and premium grades of gasoline are listed below:
February Prices January Prices
County Unl Prem Unl Prem
Imperial County
El Centro 1.532 1.749 1.521 1.697
Kern County
Bakersfield 1.478 1.668 1.457 1.648
Ridgecrest 1.428 1.599 1.399 1.569
Los Angeles County
Alhambra 1.316 1.531 1.286 1.485
Arcadia 1.366 1.526 1.377 1.539
Burbank 1.356 1.521 1.298 1.482
Culver City 1.446 1.557 1.389 1.510
Glendale 1.328 1.538 1.323 1.508
Glendora 1.381 1.499 1.314 1.469
Inglewood 1.363 1.545 1.324 1.486
Lancaster 1.376 1.590 1.339 1.546
Long Beach 1.374 1.541 1.311 1.490
Los Angeles 1.373 1.548 1.355 1.532
Manhattan Beach 1.412 1.594 1.359 1.581
Montebello 1.351 1.529 1.296 1.493
Santa Monica 1.437 1.606 1.438 1.580
Van Nuys 1.307 1.492 1.261 1.426
Whittier 1.353 1.524 1.301 1.506
Woodland Hills 1.362 1.534 1.295 1.472
Orange County
Anaheim 1.378 1.536 1.301 1.464
Fullerton 1.348 1.507 1.332 1.497
Huntington Beach 1.327 1.519 1.268 1.482
La Habra 1.308 1.487 1.273 1.462
Laguna Beach 1.432 1.602 1.413 1.577
Newport Beach 1.410 1.614 1.360 1.556
San Clemente 1.499 1.687 1.432 1.669
Tustin 1.389 1.512 1.306 1.479
Riverside County
Blythe 1.569 1.779 1.561 1.784
Hemet 1.473 1.647 1.406 1.602
Palm Springs 1.461 1.682 1.449 1.635
Riverside 1.404 1.570 1.343 1.528
San Diego County
Chula Vista 1.462 1.658 1.417 1.583
Del Mar 1.493 1.669 1.453 1.639
Escondido 1.409 1.584 1.361 1.575
Oceanside 1.423 1.644 1.367 1.590
San Diego 1.466 1.658 1.385 1.564
San Bernardino County
Redlands 1.452 1.597 1.377 1.582
San Bernardino 1.439 1.594 1.388 1.580
Victorville 1.509 1.752 1.393 1.586
Santa Barbara County
Lompoc 1.529 1.732 1.509 1.719
Santa Barbara 1.562 1.743 1.514 1.702
Santa Maria 1.550 1.739 1.531 1.712
San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo 1.533 1.679 1.495 1.668
Tulare County
Porterville 1.500 1.659 1.449 1.539
Visalia 1.464 1.715 1.408 1.619
Ventura County
Ventura 1.501 1.675 1.475 1.653
Inyo County
Bishop 1.531 1.699 1.497 1.687
So. Calif. Average 1.429 1.609 1.385 1.569
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.
The Automobile Club of Southern California, the largest affiliate of AAA, has been serving members since 1900. Today, Auto Club members benefit by the organization's emergency road service, financial products, travel agency and trip planning services, highway and transportation safety programs, insurance products and services, automotive pricing, buying and financing programs and legislative advocacy. Information about these products and services is available on the Auto Club's Web site at www.aaa-calif.com.