The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County rose Sunday to its highest amount to end a year, despite a recent run of 77 decreases in 80 days totaling $1.489.
The average price rose one-tenth of a cent Sunday to $4.778, erasing the previous high to end a year of $4.631 set in 2021, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It has risen four times in five days, increasing 3.4 cents.
The average price is 2.5 cents more than one week ago and 26.2 cents higher than one year ago, when it was $4.516, then the second-highest amount to end a year. It is 20.5 cents less than one month ago and $1.657 lower than the record $6.435 set Oct. 5, 2022.
The run of decreases started Sept. 30, two days after Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a letter to the California Air Resources Board 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 run ended Dec. 19, when the price rose one-tenth of a cent.
The run of decreases followed 23 increases in 25 days totaling 91.8 cents that pushed the average price to its highest amount since Oct. 12, 2022.
The national average price dropped for the eighth time in nine days, decreasing a half-cent to $3.112. The run totaling 1.7 cents includes five decreases of one-tenth of a cent and follows a four-day streak of increases totaling 6.1 cents.
The national average price is 1.5 cents less than one week ago, 13.4 cents lower than one month ago and 8.3 cents below one year ago. It has decreased $1.904 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.
