Gas prices in California

Gas prices are tumbling, except where they're not. Nationwide, average prices are falling at the fastest rate since January due to cheaper crude oil costs and the resolution of some refinery issues but in California, the gap between local prices and the rest of the country is bigger than ever.

AAA says that by the middle of last week, the national average price of gas had dropped for 16 days in row for a total of 11 cents per gallon. The national average price of gas on Wednesday was $2.66 per gallon, which is the lowest average for this time of year since 2009.

“It feels good to see gas prices drop during the middle of the busy summer driving season, ” said Avery Ash, AAA spokesman. “Millions of people are hitting the roads right now and these gas savings should make their trips more affordable.”

But in California, the nation's most populous state, a different record has been broken - this one for the biggest gap between what California consumers have paid at the pump versus the rest of the nation.

$201 per driver

The nonprofit group Consumer Watchdog says Californians paid $1.2 billion more, after tax differentials, than the rest of the nation in the month of July, a record, and $4.8 billion more for their gasoline over the last six months ending July 31st, since gas price spikes started.

That amounts to $201 extra paid by each California driver, according to the group’s calculations.

“Oil refiners are getting rich off Californians’ pain at the pump and it's time they pay a price for their profiteering at Californians expense, ” said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog. “We need new laws to stop the California gouging and we are very grateful that [billionaire environmentalist] Tom Steyer is stepping up to flex his muscle to help secure new standards to protect Californians’ wallets.”

• Gas prices in Washington
• Gas prices in France
• Current gas prices in California