The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Los Angeles County dropped for the 24th time in 25 days Monday, falling two-tenths of a cent to $6.096.
The average price has decreased 34.3 cents over the past 25 days, including seven-tenths of a cent Sunday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. The run of decreases follows a 44-day streak of increases totaling 79.7 cents that brought the average price within 5.4 cents of its record high, $6.493, set Oct. 5, 2022.
The average price is 13.4 cents less than one week ago and 29.1 cents less than one month ago, but $1.466 more than one year ago. It has increased $1.402 since the start of the joint U.S./Israel war on Iran on Feb. 28, which sent oil prices higher and drastically accelerated increases at the gas pump.
The Orange County average price dropped for the 25th consecutive day, falling four-tenths of a cent to $5.977. It has dropped 42.8 cents over the past 25 days, including 1.3 cents Sunday. The streak of decreases follows a run of 42 increases in 44 days totaling 83.7 cents that pushed it within 5.3 cents of its record high, $6.458, set Oct. 5, 2022.
The Orange County average price is 18 cents less than one week ago and 39.2 cents less than one month ago, but $1.399 more than one year ago. It has increased $1.341 since the start of the war on Iran.
The dropping prices are the result of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement Sept. 28 that cheaper winter-blend gasoline would be allowed to be sold immediately instead of the customary Nov. 1 date.
The national average price dropped four-tenths of a cent to $4.285. It is 1 cent less than one week ago and 20.2 cents less than one month ago, but $1.232 more than one year ago. The national average price has increased $1.303 since the attack on Iran.
“Average gasoline prices fell in a majority of states over the last week, though a fresh spike in the Great Lakes driven by a regional refinery issue nearly offset the broader decline, with that situation now beginning to clear up,” 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.
“With the national average for gasoline likely to remain above $4 per gallon … heading into the U.S. election, the relief motorists and policymakers have been hoping for remains elusive — even as states have moved to cut fuel taxes and the Trump administration has pulled virtually every lever available.”