The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County rose Saturday for the 47th consecutive day and 67th time in 68 days, increasing 1.9 cents to $3.813, its highest amount since Nov. 23, 2019.
The average price has increased 63.3 cents over the past 68 days, including 2 cents on Friday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 9.4 cents higher than one week ago, 34.3 cents more than one month ago and 44 cents greater than one year ago.
Prices are rising because refinery utilization is at a record low tightening gas supplies, the more expensive summer-blend fuel is in the marketplace, a modest increase in demand as people drive more and higher crude oil prices stemming from the dollar’s drop in value relative to other currencies, according to Jeffrey Spring, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s corporate communications manager.