The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in Los Angeles County jumped overnight to its highest amount since early October 2023.
The average price climbed by 3.8 cents, another in a series of recent increases, to $5.93. That’s the highest price since Oct. 10, 2023, according to AAA.
The average price in LA County has increased 33 of the last 34 days, according to AAA. The price leaped by more than 30 cents from a week ago, $1.263 more than one month ago and $1.274 more than one year ago.
The highest-ever average price in Los Angeles County was $6.494 in October 2022.
The Orange County average price jumped 2.8 cents to $5.887, its highest amount since Oct. 6, 2023.
The price for a gallon of regular in California Tuesday was $5.822, up from $5.790 on Monday, $5.542 a week ago, $4.628 one month ago and $4.647 a year ago.
A gallon of regular topped $6 in four California counties, including Marin ($6.024), Sonoma ($6.001) and Humboldt ($6.067). As of Tuesday morning, Inyo County had the state’s highest average at $6.565, according to AAA.
The lowest average price was in Northern California’s Tehama County at $5.461.
The national average Tuesday was $3.977 per gallon.
Use the form below to tell us about it and send us a photo of gas prices near you.
Below, some fuel saving tips.
Start by checking your car’s tires
It’s something drivers should do regularly anyway — after all, that’s where the rubber meets the road. Beyond making safety sense, properly inflated tires can help save fuel. A low tire increases the amount of fuel used. Look on the inside of your car’s door panel to find the correct PSI. Modern passenger cars usually have a PSI in the 30s.
Avoid the restaurant drive-thru line
The fast-food drive-thru might sound quick and easy, but you’re burning fuel while you wait. If your car is stopped for more than 60 seconds, shut off the engine, AAA recommends. Many new cars come with automatic start-stop to do the job for you.
Not so fast. It’s a major drag
Again, safety should be motivation enough to travel at sensible speeds. But it can also help save fuel. On freeways, aerodynamic drag causes fuel economy to drop off as speeds increase above 50 mph, AAA says.
Smooth and steady wins the fuel savings race
Think smooth and steady at the stop light. Unless you’re on a Formula 1 grid, hard acceleration when the light turns is a bad idea, especially for fuel economy. Smooth acceleration allows an automatic transmission to upshift sooner, lowering engine RPM and saving gas. If you have a manual transmission, upshift as soon as you can without ‘lugging’ the engine.
Easy does it when stopping
There’s no need to hurry up and wait, so AAA recommends taking your foot off the gas early and allowing the car to gradually and safely coast to a slower speed until its time to brake for a stop sign or stop light.
Cruising helps avoid a bruising at the pump
Using cruise control will help you maintain a constant speed instead of regularly slowing down and speeding up on the freeway. Just don’t use it on slippery roads.
Stash the roof rack
Try to limit your use of roof racks and other carriers. On the highway, an empty bike, canoe or ski rack can hurt fuel economy.
Cool it without the air conditioning
AAA says it’s best to minimize your use of air conditioning. Open windows have less impact on fuel economy than the engine power required to run the air conditioning compressor, even at highway speeds.
Stop trippin’
Try to pack as many errands as possible into one trip from home instead of making multiple trips. All that driving around is wasting gas.
Premium v. regular gas
The recommendations above are all things drivers can do on the road, but there’s one thing AAA recommends at the fuel pump. The agency says its research shows that unless your vehicle’s manufacturer specifically recommends more expensive premium fuel, it provides no added benefit over less expensive regular. So, check your car’s manual or the inside of the gas tank lid.
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