Auto Club: Gas Prices Continue Upward


LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - January 11, 2008) - Gas prices continued to increase for the second week in a row, although not as quickly as they rose in the first week of the new year, 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 $3.333, which is 3 cents higher than last week, 3 cents more than last month, and 71 cents above last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.353, which is 3.7 cents more than last week's price, 3 cents above last month, and 69 cents higher than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.446, up 3.3 cents from last week, 5 cents higher than last month, and 63 cents more than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $3.320, 2.6 cents above last week, up 3 cents from last month, and 69 cents higher than last year.

"It's not unusual for gas prices to increase slightly in January as they did this past week," said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. "What is more unusual is that the new year began at such a high level for prices. We are now paying the same amount on average as we were last April, when gasoline prices were nearing their all-time records."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., Jan. 11:

Area            Regular    One-week      Record Price
                            change
Los Angeles -
 Long Beach     $3.333     + 3 cents   $3.487 (5/9/2007)

Orange County   $3.291   + 2.4 cents   $3.479 (5/8/2007)

San Diego       $3.353   + 3.7 cents   $3.503 (5/8/2007)

Santa Barbara -
 Santa Maria -
 Lompoc         $3.446   + 3.3 cents   $3.614 (5/15/2007)

Riverside - San
 Bernardino     $3.320   + 2.6 cents   $3.486 (5/8/2007)

Bakersfield     $3.304   + 1.9 cents   $3.489 (5/7/2007)

Las Vegas, NV   $3.107   + 3.1 cents   $3.209 (5/29/2007)

Contact Information: Contact: Marie Montgomery/Jeffrey Spring (714) 885-2333