SoCal gas prices are dropping (for now). How low can they go?

Gas has been expensive this summer, but some relief appears to be on the way.

Southern California gas stations are getting less expensive — at least for now. In some areas where prices have been as high as $6 a gallon, it’s possible to find regular gas around $4.

What’s driving the drop?

How the gas market changes

Things like crude oil prices and hot weather can affect how much you pay at the pump at different times of the year.

For example, Angelenos saw gas prices increase in the spring because of refinery issues and high demand, said Gianella Ghiglino, a spokesperson for the American Automobile Association.

Typically, gas prices increase over the summer because more people are traveling by car and refineries switch to the higher-cost summer oil blend, which is formulated for hotter weather. But this year, after coming off an already expensive spring, early summer prices didn’t hit as hard.

“It kind of felt like a relief for a lot of people,” Ghiglino said.

It’s likely that spring maintenance at oil refineries also helped. Once that’s done, it’s typical for gas output to go up and gas prices to go down because of the pull of supply and demand.

“However, gas prices were very similar this summer as they were last summer,” Ghiglino said.

Prices fluctuate every day. The current Los Angeles-Long Beach average for regular gas is $4.56, according to AAA. A year ago, it was about $5.33.

What’s going on now?

As we get closer to the time of year when the weather cools and people go on fewer road trips, prices at the pump have gotten lower.

L.A. and Long Beach gas prices are about 10 cents less than they were a month ago. This week, gas prices dropped another 2 cents from last week.

“We are seeing slow but gradual decreases as we’re heading into the fall season,” Ghiglino said.

How long those reductions last can be very hard to predict, she said.

The factors that influence gas prices can change rapidly, so the organization can’t say how long the decline could last or how low prices could drop.

Big price fluctuations could happen less under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new proposal, which would allow the California Energy Commission to require gas refiners to “maintain a minimum fuel reserve to avoid supply shortages.”

“Price spikes at the pump are profit spikes for Big Oil,” Newsom said in a statement last week. “Refiners should be required to plan ahead and backfill supplies to keep prices stable, instead of playing games to earn even more profits.”

How can I find cheap gas?

If you want to avoid those $5 pumps, here are some hacks.

Skip the Shells and Chevrons. If you have a Costco or Sam’s Club card, their cheaper pumps are cost-savers.

You can try GasBuddy, where members contribute to a real-time list of cheap gas stations. You can look up prices near you, or find the top reported cheapest statewide stations here and L.A. ones here.

Ghiglino also has a pro-tip.

“One piece of advice is the gas stations that are near a freeway exit will tend to be a little higher,” she said. “So try to look for the ones that aren’t.”