Ramona Area Gas Price Records Largest Increase Since 2019

RAMONA, CA — The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County recorded its largest increase Wednesday since Oct. 2, 2019.

The average price increased 3.4 cents to $4.895, its 13th record in 15 days.

Marie Montgomery Nordhues, a spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California, told Patch that gas prices primarily keep going up in San Diego due to high oil prices caused by inflation and world tensions.

"California does not receive any oil from Russia, but rising oil prices of course still impact the state's refineries during a time when gas prices typically rise locally," she said.

"Typically in Southern California, drivers see a 30-cent to 50-cent increase in the price of a gallon of gas between January and May. The reason for that is usually a combination of switching to the more expensive summer blend of gasoline for air quality purposes, and supply interruptions from local refineries conducting their annual maintenance, which requires Southern California to import gasoline by ship from overseas."

The average price in the county has risen 27 of the past 30 days, increasing 27.1 cents, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service. The average price was $4.861 Tuesday, $4.756 one week ago, $4.645 one month ago, and $3.731 one year ago.

"So far in 2022 with a little over two months to go in the typical 'spring spike' season, gas price averages have risen by 20-23 cents in Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties," Montgomery Nordhues told City News Service. "If oil prices continue rising as a result of inflation and the Russia-Ukraine war, $5-per-gallon price averages in Southern California are increasingly likely."

The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in California was $4.866 Wednesday, while the average national price was $3.656, according to AAA.

City News Service contributed to this report.