Auto Club: Gas Prices Back Off Records


LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - March 21, 2008) - Most Southern California areas saw very little net change at the pump in the past week as prices eased off slightly from new record levels, 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 $3.615, which is 2.3 cents higher than last week, 44 cents more than last month, and 49 cents above last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.633, which is 1.4 cents more than last week's price, 41 cents above last month, and 47 cents higher than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.739, up 1.9 cents from last week, 39 cents above last month, and 49 cents more than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $3.620, 2.2 cents above last week, up 43 cents from last month, and 46 cents higher than last year.

"Prices continued to set new all-time records in most areas until Monday or Tuesday of this week, and then started declining very slightly," said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. "With just a couple of days of very small price declines, it's too early to tell if we've reached a spring peak or we're at a plateau."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., March 21:

Area             Regular   One-week      Record Price    2007 Record Price
                            change

Los Angeles -
 Long Beach       $3.615   +2.3 cents   $3.620 (3/18/08)  $3.487 (5/9/2007)

Orange County     $3.560   +1.9 cents   $3.566 (3/17/08)  $3.479 (5/8/2007)

San Diego         $3.642   +1.4 cents   $3.633 (3/17/08)  $3.503 (5/8/2007)

Santa Barbara -
 Santa Maria -
 Lompoc           $3.739   +1.9 cents   $3.743 (3/17/08) $3.614 (5/15/2007)

Riverside - San
 Bernardino       $3.620   +2.2 cents   $3.627 (3/18/08)  $3.486 (5/8/2007)

Bakersfield       $3.585   +2.3 cents   $3.589 (3/17/08)  $3.489 (5/7/2007)

Las Vegas, NV     $3.314   +5.4 cents   $3.314 (3/20/08) $3.209 (5/29/2007)

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