Socal gas prices rise

Drivers who have enjoyed watching gas prices drop over the last few months may be disappointed to see somewhat higher prices at the pump this week.

On average, gas prices in the Riverside and San Bernardino region have increased by 7.3 cents over the last week. An increase of 6 cents was seen in the Los Angeles/Long Beach area, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.

"Not everywhere, but a lot of other states are seeing continual decline in the prices, however, in California sometimes our market has nothing to do with what is going on in the other states," said Marie Montgomery, Auto Club spokesperson. "So a lot of time our California prices are much more tied to what is happening to local refineries and what the local output is and that seems to be the case at the moment."

The owner of a refinery in Bakersfield and a breakdown at a refinery in Carson may have contributed to the rise, Montgomery said.

"Apparently we have an owner of one of our refineries in Bakersfield filed for bankruptcy on Monday," Montgomery said. "That and then a breakdown of a refinery in Carson has apparently made traders of whole sale gas very anxious so that has really pushed up California wholesale prices quite a bit."

In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $1.773, which is 7.3 cents over last week, down 28 cents from last month and $1.44 less than last year, according to the Auto Club.

"This doesn't necessarily mean this is going to continue but there does seem to be a continuing downward pressure," Montgomery said. "We are at the low point of the year for demand so this doesn't mean we've seen the end of a decline until the summer."

sandra.emerson@inlandnewspapers.com