The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County dropped for the ninth time in 10 days Saturday, falling 1.5 cents to $5.777.
The average price has dropped 10.6 cents over the past 10 days, including two-tenths of a cent Friday. It is 6.4 cents less than one week ago, but 24.5 cents more than one month ago and $1.058 more than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It is 59.6 cents less than the record $6.373 set on Oct. 5, 2022.
Prices were rising slightly in line with seasonal norms before the joint U.S./Israel attack on Iran on Feb. 28 sent oil prices higher and drastically accelerated increases at the gas pump. Prices began to fall slightly after the announcement of a ceasefire April 7, though subsequent peace talks in Pakistan failed to produce a deal.
“Today, the least expensive gas stations in Southern California are charging less than $5.20 a gallon,” Kandace Redd, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s senior public affairs specialist, said in a statement released Thursday. “If oil prices drop further and supplies in California are stable, we could see pump prices continue to decline.”
The national average price dropped for the eighth time in nine days, falling 1.8 cents to $4.058. The national average price is 7.7 cents less than one week ago, but 21.6 cents more than one month ago and 89.6 cents more than one year ago. It is 95.8 cents less than the record $5.016 set on June 14, 2022.