Gas Prices on the Rise Again

One day after gas prices held steady for the first time in nearly a month, the average price of a gallon of regular self-serve gasoline in Los Angeles County rose one-tenth of a cent to $4.218, City News Service reported Monday.

Prices are the highest they've been since Aug. 4, 2008. The average price for a gallon is about 2.2 cents more than last week, 24.5 cents more than last month and $1.126 higher than last year, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.

Nevertheless, the average price is still 40.8 cents less than the record high of $4.626 reported June 21, 2008.

Redondo Beach residents can still find gas in neighboring cities for less than the L.A. County average, according to data from AOL Autos. The following stations within a 5 mile radius of the city have below-average prices for regular self-serve:

• Arco, 1131 Pacific Coast Highway, Hermosa Beach
  Price per gallon: $4.13
• Thrifty, 4015 Redondo Beach Blvd., Lawndale
  PPG: $4.13
• Arco, 18180 Prairie Ave., Torrance
  PPG: $4.13
• Arco, 1210 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance
  PPG: $4.11
• Arco, 23510 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance
  PPG: $4.11

Unrest in the Middle East has caused crude oil prices to skyrocket, driving the 28-day streak of price increases, analysts said. However, analysts also cite the decline in oil prices from $113 per barrel to about $106 per barrel as the reason for the smaller price increases.

Crude oil costs account for up to three-quarters of the price of a gallon of gasoline, according to Western States Petroleum Association representative Tupper Hull.

City News Service contributed to this report.