Business & Tech

Concord's Gas Cheaper Than the State Average—By a Penny

New AAA study tracks state gas prices; Locally, Costco and some Arco stations are the best deals.

California has a lot of good things to offer, but this isn’t one of them: All of the state’s metro areas tracked by AAA Northern California have seen gas prices climb past the $4 per gallon mark for regular, unleaded. California now has the second highest state average gas price among all 50 states.

This is despite a national trend that that is seeing demand for gasoline drop.

In Concord, the monthly gas price averages $4.16 a gallon, up 25 cents from last month. That’s one cent less than the state average, according to AAA.

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For perspective, that’s $1.06 higher than California’s average price on this date last year.

Northern California gas prices are now averaging $4.17, up 27 cents from last month. In the San Francisco Bay Area, motorists can expect to pay an average price of $4.22, which is a 26-cent increase. The national average price of $3.79 is up by 27 cents, which is 93 cents more than the national price on this date last year, when it was $2.86.

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Why do gas prices continue to soar? Several things, says AAA Northern California spokesperson Matt Skryja. “Investors continue to be the largest force driving the market price for oil. And instability in the Middle East and North Africa still has them concerned about the world’s supply of crude, which has helped to keep oil prices on the rise.”

He also said that domestically, a weakened U.S. dollar has also contributed to rising crude prices. When the dollar weakens, investors, including those holding foreign currencies, are more likely to invest in U.S. commodities, including crude, which pushes the prices upward.

And despite the fact that American motorists have cut their demand for gasoline in the past two weeks, investors are still betting that oil prices will even go higher, due to continued unrest in Libya, Syria and Yemen, Skryja says.

If you want cheaper gas, you’ll have to go to Marysville, which, at $4.09, is the least expensive gas in northern California. Eureka’s average price of $4.34 is the highest. It’s also the highest price reported by AAA in the lower 48 states.

The least expensive gasoline in the country is found in Casper, Wyoming, where for the second consecutive month the average price of gas is $3.37.

Wailuku, Hawaii, holds the dubious crown for the highest average price in the nation, at $4.76 per gallon.

In Concord, the most inexpensive gas continues to be at as well the Arco at 3400 Willow Pass Road (at Farm Bureau Road), at $3.99 a gallon for regular unleaded.

The Arco at 2490 Monument Blvd. (at Detroit Ave.) is second lowest, at $4.01 a gallon. Oil, at 2211  Monument Blvd. (at Erickson Road) and at 3598 Willow Pass Rd (at Granada Drive) have gas for $4.05 a gallon.


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