State Sees Decline in Gasoline Prices

Pump prices nationally increased for the second week in a row, with the average hitting $2.211 a gallon, up 2.6 cents, the government’s energy forecasting agency said Monday.

California bucked the national trend, with the average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline falling 2.8 cents to $2.249, based on the federal Energy Information Administration’s weekly survey of filling stations.

Still, the California average remained 20 cents above year-earlier levels. The national price, rising again after nine straight weeks of declines, has gained 39.6 cents from a year ago.

Gasoline prices generally are rising as motor fuel demand increases and the price of crude to make gasoline and heating oil picked up during the recent cold weather on the East Coast.

Miami topped the agency’s survey of major cities, with gasoline up 0.3 cent to $2.395 a gallon; Houston had the cheapest fuel, up 2.7 cents to $2.131.