Despite Month-To-Month Decrease, Bay Area Gas Prices Among Nation's Highest
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Despite a significant decrease from last month, Bay Area gas prices remain among the highest in the nation, according to a report released Tuesday by AAA.
The average price per gallon in the Bay Area is currently $2.87, a 26-cent decrease from the AAA's previous Fuel Gauge Report last month.
According to AAA, the national average is $2.31 per gallon.
California currently tops all 50 states in the nation in highest gas prices. The lowest gas prices in the nation are reported in South Carolina at $1.97 per gallon, AAA spokeswoman Rolayne Fairclough said.
"Prices are falling, but California is just always higher," Fairclough said. "Refinery issues pushed California prices over Alaska and Hawaii, which are typically the highest in the country."
San Francisco has the most expensive average per gallon in the Bay Area at $3, according to AAA officials. Los Angeles at $3.03 is the only other city surveyed in California to have passed San Francisco, Fairclough said.
Concord and Fremont are both tied for having the lowest gas prices in the Bay Area at $2.79 per gallon. Oakland and San Jose fall toward the middle of Bay Area cities' gas prices at $2.85 and $2.86, respectively.
Gas prices are expected to continue to drop during the fall as many refineries seasonally switch to a less expensive blend of gasoline during the winter, according to AAA officials.
© Copyright 2015 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.