Now that the unofficial start of summer has passed, we can expect the summer economy to roll in. After Memorial Day, even though summer does not officially begin until late June, much of California begins its usual summer practices. One common summer practice for Californians is a road trip. Whether going up and down the coast or going through the Sierra Nevada, nothing beats a summertime drive. There is one downfall that we can expect in the state for this year, consistently high-priced gas.
California has been no stranger to expensive gas, in fact, in the past few years we have become very well acquainted with it. Recently gas companies made a switch to a summer blend, which is expected to keep the high price point that gas is at.
The average cost for a gallon of gas in California is $4.86.
Last year we saw the national average price increase, at its highest point reaching $4.62. However, the national average has dropped down quite and bit and steadied out at a lower price. The national average cost has dropped about a dollar and is now coming in at around $3.58.
California has always been a more expensive state than other states, so the difference is nothing new. It is still a high price for many to pay for gas. Experts are currently reporting that they expect the current price point to remain about the same with some fluctuations here and there for the rest of the summer in California.
Sometime in the fall when they change back to the winter blend of gasoline, we can expect a drop in the price.
The summer blend that California is currently on creates lower carbon emissions, something we are battling all over the country to reduce, but especially in California. Since the number of drivers driving increases in the summer, they use this blend to help compensate. This blend is more expensive to produce and distribute to gas stations around the state, leading to higher prices at the pump.
California is one of the states that switches to the summer blend very early on, beating out most of the country.
