Los Angeles Gas Rises to $5.710 as Diesel Reaches $7.113

Regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area rose to an average of $5.710 per gallon on Saturday, August 1, while diesel reached $7.113 per gallon, according to AAA’s latest price data.

Regular gas was up 0.3 cents from July 31. Diesel rose 0.5 cents. The AAA figures cover the Los Angeles-Long Beach metro area rather than the city of Los Angeles alone, and pump prices can vary substantially by neighborhood and station.

Regular gas is higher than a week, month and year ago

AAA’s Los Angeles-Long Beach regular-gas average was $5.683 a week earlier, making the latest price 2.7 cents higher. The month-ago comparison was $5.425, or 28.5 cents below the current average.

Compared with a year ago, regular gasoline is up $1.237 per gallon. The current average also moved slightly higher from the July 31 AAA figure of $5.707.

Diesel is rising faster than regular gas

Diesel averaged $7.048 per gallon a week earlier, putting the latest price 6.5 cents higher. That weekly increase is more than twice the 2.7-cent increase for regular gasoline.

Diesel is up 43.3 cents from the month-ago average of $6.680 and $1.961 from the year-ago average of $5.152. The current diesel average is also higher than the July 31 figure of $7.108.

Higher diesel prices can put added pressure on freight, delivery, construction, landscaping, repair and other businesses that rely on fuel-intensive vehicles. The available price data does not document specific reactions from Los Angeles-area businesses.

EIA weekly data also shows upward movement

The U.S. Energy Information Administration listed Los Angeles regular gasoline at $5.447 per gallon for the week ending July 27, up from $5.323 the prior week. That is a weekly measure, not a current daily price, and it is separate from AAA’s Los Angeles-Long Beach metro average.

The EIA series provides independent confirmation that Los Angeles regular-gas prices increased during the latest completed reporting week. The cited EIA Los Angeles table does not provide a current daily diesel average comparable to AAA’s metro figure.

What higher pump prices may mean locally

For commuters and households, sustained prices above $5 per gallon can raise the cost of driving to work, school, medical appointments and weekend activities. Drivers with longer commutes or larger vehicles may feel the effect more quickly.

Higher diesel costs may also increase operating pressure for delivery routes, restaurant supply trips, contractor visits, landscaping work and mobile service calls. Businesses may absorb those costs, change routes or pass some expenses into prices, but the current data does not show which approach local businesses are taking.

AAA’s metro averages are not station-by-station quotes. Share the highest and lowest regular-gas or diesel prices you are seeing at Los Angeles-area pumps.

Sources

• AAA Fuel Prices — California
• U.S. Energy Information Administration — Los Angeles Gasoline and Diesel Retail Prices