Bay Area gas prices slip below state average

The average price for gas in the Bay Area has dipped slightly lower than the state’s average price, AAA officials said this week.

In the Bay Area, the average price of unleaded gas is at $2.72 per gallon, up by seven cents since December, according to the organization’s monthly Fuel Gauge Report released Tuesday.

The statewide average gas price is at $2.85 per gallon, up by $0.17 since last month, AAA officials said.

San Francisco has Northern California’s highest gas prices, with the average price per gallon at $2.82, up five cents since December. Southern California has the highest prices in the state, including the Los Angeles-Long Beach area with prices around $3.

Other cities in the Bay Area with high gas prices include San Rafael, with an average price of $2.82 per gallon and San Mateo at $2.77 per gallon.

Some of the lowest gas prices in the Bay Area can be found in Concord, with the average price there at $2.62 per gallon and in Vallejo, with the average gas price at $2.63.

Although California leads the nation with the most expensive gas, drivers may see prices jump even higher because of statewide refinery issues, according to AAA officials.

Noticeable jumps in gas prices are usually the result of disruptions in gas production, which are often exacerbated because of the market’s relative isolation and specific fuel requirements, AAA officials said.

National gas prices have decreased in 45 states and continue to drop to multi-year lows, with Tuesday’s average price of $1.96 per gallon representing the cheapest average price at the pump since March 23, 2009, according to the report.