State gas prices still on the rise
The national average gas price is slowly sinking — dropping another two cents since Sunday — but Californians haven’t seen much relief at the pump.
After peaking at a record $4.33 on March 11, the national average has sunk to $4.25 per gallon, according to AAA. The global price of crude oil has also dropped $20 since spiking after Russia invaded Ukraine last month.
“Usually this time of year, with warmer weather and longer days, we’d see an uptick in gasoline demand as more people hit the road,” said AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross in a news release. “But we had a slight drop in demand last week, which may be due to higher pump prices. In our new survey of drivers, 59 percent said they would change their driving habits or lifestyle if the cost of gas hit $4 per gallon. And if gas were to reach $5, which it has in the Western part of the country, three-quarters said they would need to adjust their lifestyle to offset the pump price.”
Motorists in the Golden State are still paying the highest prices in the country, seeing a one-cent increase from $5.84 per gallon Sunday to $5.85 Monday, setting yet another new record high for unleaded fuel and increasing nearly 10 cents from a week ago.
In San Francisco, the average stayed at about $5.92 a gallon Monday, while prices increased from $5.844 to $5.849 in Oakland. Elsewhere in the Bay Area, prices have started to level off, staying at about $5.79 in Santa Cruz/Watsonville, $5.93 in San Rafael and $5.82 a gallon in San Jose.
While prices have gone up 22 percent over the past month, they could start dropping in the coming months, according to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. He said because crude oil prices decreased from highs over $120 a barrel to as low as $96 per barrel last week, the falling price could translate into a 35 to 55 cent decrease per gallon over the next few weeks.
Demand for gasoline is on the rise as more people drive during the warmer months. On Friday, the demand nationally reached the highest level since July 30, 2021, according to De Haan.
California has the highest fuel prices in the country, partially due to higher taxes for environmental regulations and infrastructure. A group of 10 Democratic lawmakers and one independent proposed a one-time $400 rebate last week that would help cushion some of the financial strain that drivers have faced over the last few weeks. The rebate, which would use $9 billion of the state’s estimated $20.6 billion surplus, would go to all taxpayers regardless of if they drive due to high cost of living across the board, lawmakers said.
Some of the lowest gas prices in the region are located in San Jose’s east side, in addition to other portions of the South Bay and East Bay, according to a map of Bay Area prices from GasBuddy. A gas station called Gas & Shop was offering regular fuel at $5.25 a gallon Monday in San Jose. Meanwhile, a station in Oakland’s Fruitvale District was offering gas at $5.39 a gallon. Some of the most expensive prices were in San Francisco and along the Peninsula, with one station charging $5.89 a gallon.
Due to high gas prices, AAA has offered some tips to try and save fuel:
• Slow down and go easy on the brake. Speeding wastes fuel, and so does hard braking and acceleration.
• Clear out your trunk. Carrying heavy items reduces fuel mileage.
• Avoid idling, if you can.
• Inflate your tires to the proper air pressure.
• Consolidate trips and drive less. Use the most fuel-efficient car in your household to run errands.