The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County dropped for the 16th consecutive day Sunday, falling 1.1 cents to $5.64.
The average price has dropped 51.1 cents over the past 16 days, including 3.7 cents Saturday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.
The streak follows a run of 22 increases in 24 days totaling 86.6 cents. The average price is 19.5 cents less than one week ago, 11.9 cents more than one month ago, and 40.7 cents less than one year ago. It has dropped 73.3 cents since rising to a record $6.373 on Oct. 5, 2022.
The decreasing prices stem from Gov. Gavin Newsom sending a letter to the California Air Resources Board Sept. 28 directing it to allow refineries to begin making and distributing winter-blend gasoline, which is cheaper to produce.
Stations normally cannot start selling winter blend gas until Nov. 1.
The national average price dropped for the 17th consecutive day and 25th time in the last 27 days, falling eight-tenths of a cent to $3.601. It has dropped 28 cents over the past 27 days, including 1.9 cents Saturday.
The national average price is 10.8 cents less than one week ago, 26.5 cents less than one month ago, and 29.1 cents less than one year ago. It has dropped $1.415 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.
“As long as this war (in Israel) does not spread to include more countries in the region, the effect on the oil market will remain muted,” Andrew Gross, an AAA national public relations manager, said late last week. “Here in the U.S., there are now nine states with some county gas averages below $3 a gallon, and this number will likely increase in the coming weeks.”