The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County Wednesday was at its lowest amount to end a year since 2020, $4.174. It was at its lowest amount to start a year since 2021 on Jan. 1, 2025.
The average price has dropped 11.9 cents since Jan. 1, 2025, when it was $4.293, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It fell to its lowest amount since June 7, 2021, Tuesday, $4.162, but rose 1.2 cents over the next day.
The average price is a half-cent less than one week ago, 38 cents lower than one month ago and 11.1 cents below what it was one year ago. It has dropped $2.199 since rising to a record $6.373 on Oct. 5, 2022.
The national average price recorded its second consecutive increase following a run of five decreases in six days totaling 3.3 cents, rising a half-cent to $2.839. It is 1.5 cents less than one week ago, 16.6 cents lower than one month ago and 20.4 cents below what it was one year ago.
The national average price has dropped $2.177 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.
“2025 wasn’t a year of dramatic spikes or collapses — it was a year of rare stability,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which provides real-time gas price information from more than 150,000 stations, said in a statement released Tuesday.
“Prices still followed a seasonal pattern, but they stayed confined to one of the narrowest ranges drivers have seen in years. When drivers look back, 2025 will stand out as one of the calmest years at the pump in modern history. That level of stability is unusual, and it may not be fully appreciated until volatility returns.”