A day after moving seven-tenths of a cent from matching its record, the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County recorded its largest decrease since Aug. 11 Friday, dropping eight-tenths of a cent.
The decrease ended a run of 42 increases in 44 days totaling 74.5 cents, including 1.1 cents Thursday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. It rose 12 consecutive days, dropped four-tenths of a cent Aug. 31, increased the next 27 days, was unchanged Monday and resumed rising Tuesday.
The average price of $6.419 is 9.3 cents more than one week ago, 56.3 cents higher than one month ago and $1.652 greater than one year ago. It has increased $1.733 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 record San Diego County average price is $6.434 set on Oct. 5, 2022.
“Oil Price Information Service reports that California wholesale gasoline prices dropped by 20 cents yesterday after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement late Monday that the cheaper winter-blend gasoline will be allowed to be sold immediately in California gas stations,” Kandace Redd, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s senior public affairs specialist, said in a statement released Thursday.
“We expect pump prices to begin falling soon.”
The national average price dropped for the seventh consecutive day, decreasing 1.7 cents to $4.396. It has dropped 9.5 cents over the past seven days, including 2.1 cents Thursday. The decreases follow back-to-back increases totaling 1.7 cents.
The national average price is 27.6 cents more than one month ago and $1.237 higher than one year ago. It has increased $1.414 since the attack on Iran.
The San Diego County average price rose more than 1.3 cents per day over the past week while the national average price dropped more than 1.3 cents per day.
The national average price is at its highest amount this late in the calendar year, according to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which provides real-time gas price information from more than 150,000 stations.