The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County rose Tuesday to its highest amount since Oct. 22, 2023, increasing 2.9 cents to $5.808.
The average price has risen for 27 consecutive days, increasing $1, including 1.1 cents on Monday, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.
The average price is 29.1 cents more than one week ago, $1.001 higher than one month ago and 93.7 cents greater than one year ago. Despite the recent increases, the average price is 82.7 cents less than the record $6.435 set on Oct. 5, 2022.
Prices were rising slightly in line with seasonal norms before the joint U.S./Israel attack on Iran on Feb. 28 sent oil prices higher and drastically accelerated increases at the gas pump.
The national average price rose to its highest amount since Oct. 3, 2023, increasing 7.2 cents to $3.79. It has risen for 17 consecutive days, increasing 80.8 cents, including 1.9 cents on Monday.
The national average price is 25.1 cents more than one week ago, 87.3 cents higher than one month ago and 71.2 cents greater than one year ago. It is $1.226 less than the record $5.016 set on June 14, 2022.
"Consumers continue to feel the sting of rising oil, gasoline, and diesel costs as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East remain elevated, pushing gasoline prices to their highest levels in years," Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, which provides real-time gas price information from more than 150,000 stations, said in a statement released Monday.
"Until we see a meaningful resumption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, upward pressure on fuel prices is likely to persist. At the same time, seasonal forces are beginning to intensify as several regions complete the transition to summer gasoline, creating a double headwind that could continue driving pump prices higher in the weeks ahead."
