The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in Riverside County dropped Thursday for the 13th consecutive day, falling 2.4 cents to $6.122.
The average price has dropped 20.7 cents over the past 13 days, including 2.3 cents Wednesday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.
The streak began one day after the end of a 44-day streak of increases totaling 80.9 cents that brought the Riverside County average price within 4.4 cents of its record, $6.373 set Oct. 5, 2022.
The average price is 13.3 cents less than one week ago, but 17.3 cents more than one month ago and $1.522 higher than one year ago. It has increased $1.571 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 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 run of 17 decreases in 19 days to the national average price totaling 15.8 cents ended with an increase of one-tenth of a cent to $4.334.
The national average price dropped 10 consecutive days, rose three-tenths of a cent Oct. 6, fell seven-tenths of a cent over the next two days, increased 1 cent Friday and declined each of the next five days.
The national average price is 2.7 cents less than one week ago, but six-tenths of a cent more than one month ago and $1.267 higher than one year ago. It has increased $1.352 since the attack on Iran.
“Oil, gasoline and diesel futures all moving lower this morning on reports that (President Donald) Trump may ease sanctions on Russia’s `shadow fleet’ of ships, allowing more Russian oil to flow,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which provides real-time gas price information from more than 150,000 stations, wrote on social media Thursday.