San Francisco Bay Area Gas Prices Inching Closer To $6 A Gallon
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- With a refinery in Torrance struggling to return to full production, prices at the gas pump inched ever closer to $6 a gallon for regular unleaded Saturday at stations across the San Francisco Bay Area.
According to AAA, prices were the highest in Marin County where the average cost of a gallon of regular unleaded began the day at $5.926. Napa was next at $5.923 a gallon and in San Francisco it was at $5.916.
Statewide, the average cost rose to $5.835 -- a dramatic hit to the pocketbook compared to the $3.875 a gallon of just a year ago.
Industry experts continue to point to sanctions put in place on Russia for its invasion of the Ukraine as the major driver of the price increase. But other factors were also playing a role -- the seasonal changeover to summer blends and a refinery issue in Southern California.
"The Torrance PBF refinery is having issues restarting a key unit that went offline after a March 6 power outage, and that supply issue is continuing to put upward pressure on gas prices locally," said Auto Club spokesman Doug Shupe. "At the same time, oil prices have rebounded today above $100 per barrel."
While the increase has been steady for weeks, the size of the price jumps have slowed lately.
"After a furious increase in the national average over the last two weeks, the top appears to be in with average gas prices slowly starting to decline over the last few days," said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "While the decrease could be short-lived, it is nonetheless a well-needed break from the large surge in gas prices we've experienced over the last few weeks. The situation remains fluid, and escalations remain very possible, if not likely."
Relief may also be coming on the state level. A group of Democratic lawmakers have proposed a plan to send a $400 gas rebate to every California taxpayer to help defray the increased cost of gasoline.
The plan would tap the state's $9 billion budget surplus to fund the rebate, and would cost an estimated $567 million.
Asm. Cottie Petrie-Norris from Irvine, who is spearheading the proposal with the Democratic Caucus of the State Assembly, said the $400 rebate was calculated based on what the average Californian would save if a "gas tax holiday" were implemented. Currently, drivers pay 51.1 cents per gallon in gas tax.
"That $400, for the average Californian, for the average vehicle, that's 52 trips to the pump. That's a yearlong gas tax holiday," said Petrie-Norris. "We know our constituents are hurting right now."
Drivers can also take some cost-saving measures. According to AAA they include:
- If you use premium unleaded fuel, make sure it is required for your vehicle, not just recommended. The Auto Club's Automotive Research Center found that vehicles with recommended premium fuel performed safely with regular unleaded gasoline.
- Make sure your tires are properly maintained and inflated to the correct level.
- Maintain your car according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Regular service will ensure optimum fuel economy.
- Avoid "jackrabbit" starts and hard accelerations. These actions greatly increase fuel consumption.
- Slow down and drive the speed limit. Fuel economy peaks around 50 mph on most cars, then drops off as speed increases. Reducing freeway speeds by 5 to 10 mph can increase fuel economy by as much as 14%.
- Use cruise control on the highway to help maintain a constant speed and save fuel. However, never use cruise control on slippery roads because you could lose control of the vehicle.
- Minimize your use of air conditioning.
- Avoid extended idling to warm up the engine, even in colder temperatures. It's unnecessary and wastes fuel.
- Remove unnecessary and heavy items from your car.
- Minimize your use of roof racks and remove special carriers when not in use.