Gasoline Prices Rise Again in California

Retail gasoline prices in California climbed for the third week in a row, pushing the statewide average up 2.3 cents to $1.69 a gallon over the seven-day period that ended Monday, an Energy Department survey found.

With the new increase, California’s average pump price for self-serve regular has jumped 9.5 cents a gallon this year and is up 5.6 cents compared with this time last year.

Prices rose across the country in the last week, forcing a 3.5-cent uptick in the nationwide average to $1.595 for a gallon of regular.

The broad scope of the increases mirrors steady increases in the price of crude oil, which accounts for 45% of the cost of gasoline but takes weeks to show up in retail prices.