The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County dropped Sunday for the 23rd consecutive day, decreasing 1.4 cents to $5.44.
The average price has dropped 71.1 cents over the past 23 days, including 3.4 cents on Saturday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. The decreases follow a run of 22 increases in 24 days totaling 86.6 cents.
The average price is 20 cents less than one week ago, 43.5 cents lower than one month ago and 23.5 cents cheaper than one year ago. It has dropped 93.3 cents since rising to a record $6.373 on Oct. 5, 2022.
“The West Coast is certainly seeing a much larger decline than is `normal’ and it’s due to the refinery situation now improving drastically,” as well as Gov. Gavin Newsom sending a letter to the California Air Resources Board on Sept. 28 directing it to allow refineries to begin making and distributing winter-blend gasoline, which is cheaper to produce, Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy told the Dow Jones Co. news, personal finance and commentary website MarketWatch.
Stations normally cannot start selling winter blend gas until Nov. 1.
GasBuddy provides real-time gas price information from more than 150,000 stations,
The national average price dropped for the 24th. consecutive day and 32nd. time in the last 34 days, decreasing four-tenths of a cent to $3.55. It has dropped 33.1 cents over the past 34 days, including four-tenths of a cent Saturday.
The national average price is 5.1 cents less than one week ago, 30.9 cents less than one month ago and 25.3 cents less than one year ago. It has dropped $1.466 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.
The run of dropping prices follows an 11-day streak of increases totaling 7.8 cents.