It may be a red letter day for West Coast RVer: California gas prices have dropped below $5 a gallon. For Golden Staters it’s likely a Godsend, but the price is still higher than any other state in the country.
Cheaper, winter fuel now at the pump
California gas prices were over $6 as recently as September. Today, Nov. 21, according to AAA, they average $4.98 a gallon. The start of the drop came when Governor Gavin Newsom decided to waive an anti-smog rule. It allowed retailers to pump cheaper winter-grade fuel. That fuel comes from a wider, less costly pool of ingredients. The choice to move to winter fuel came earlier than usual.
California gas prices still a buck more than elsewhere
California gas prices are still a buck more than you’d pay throughout the rest of the country, on average. That premium can be attributed to California’s tighter environmental watchdog attitude. The average through the rest of the 49 states is $3.308 per gallon. That’s the lowest price since January. National pump prices have fallen for 53 straight days.
October saw gas demand hit a 25-year seasonal low. Demand remains below the 5-year average, with previously sky-high prices and inflation pushing down on discretionary driving. Also affecting gas price, crude futures: they’re down 5% for the year.
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Hooray hooray, only $700.00 to fill up. Woohoooo. The gas below $2.00/gal reported on 2 weeks ago is available where? Which state? Which station? Which city? Has it now dropped below $1.80 yet?
Oh, were now $1.99 at Sheetz. Got it.
Cancel, you get to visit here, some of us have to live here with these “lower” prices”…🙂
Thank you, Russ and Tina! Unleaded regular gasoline (10% ethanol) prices here in east Tennessee are about $2.80/gallon, but you can find it for closer to $2.70/gallon some places. Safe travels!
I spent 12 years RVing full-time in the western US & Canada. Because of the high gas prices, I stayed out of California. Even though I’m an environmentalist at heart, at nine miles per gallon in an RV, California was not feasible.
Gas in mid $2.70s in Central Florida