San Diego County gasoline prices have been inching up this past week, breaking to their highest levels since Oct. 24, 2008.
The Automobile Club of Southern California weekly report indicates the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular here is $3.16, up 3.8 cents over last week, 5.6 cents over last month and 79.1 cents more than this time last year.
The Utility Consumers' Action Network fueltracker.com website lists today's averages at $3.17 for regular, $3.37 for premium and $3.34 for diesel.
Charles Langley, manager of the UCAN Gas Project predicted last week gas prices could rise by as much a 25 cents per gallon during the month of May. In his report this week he notes demand for oil and gasoline are at historically low levels, so prices should be dropping.
He claims crude oil costs, which total two-thirds to three-quarters of the price of a gallon of gas, spiked to $80 per barrel because of "market gaming and front-running by investment houses."
Langley predicted prices will rise between 2 and 7 cents over the weekend.
The Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch list Los Angeles and Long Beach prices up 4.5 cents to $3.15, Orange County up 4.9 cents to $3.15 and Santa Barbara up 3.2 cents to $3.22.
The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is not affecting Southern California gasoline prices because the region gets little oil from the Gulf of Mexico, getting the bulk of its oil from California, Alaska and overseas, Spring said.
