SAN DIEGO (CNS) – The average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County rose four-tenths of a cent Thursday to $4.267, one day after a run of seven increases in eight days ended with a decrease of one-tenth of a cent.
The increase comes as the state’s already highest-in-the-nation gas tax climbed to 51.1 cents on July 1 — a 0.60 cent increase that is tied to inflation, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The automatic increase is due to Senate Bill 1, a legislative package that was signed into law in 2017 and incrementally raises the fuel excise tax annually to in part help fund road and bridge repairs.
The average price of gas in San Diego Thursday is 2.7 cents higher than one week ago, 7.9 cents more than one month ago and $1.172 greater than one year ago, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.
The average price has risen $1.04 since the start of the year to its highest amount since May 5, 2014, because of a sharp increase in the oil price and increased demand because more people are driving to work, according to Jeffrey Spring, the Automobile Club of Southern California’s corporate communications manager.
The large price increase from one year ago is mainly the result of a significant decrease during the early stage of the coronavirus pandemic, when driving and demand dropped substantially because of stay-at-home orders intended to reduce the spread of the virus.
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