SLO County gas prices are up above $5 again. Will they come back down?

Here’s some bad news for drivers.

For nearly a week, San Luis Obispo County gas prices have averaged more than $5 per gallon, according to data compiled by GasBuddy.com — and it’s likely that’s here to stay for the next few weeks.

On Thursday, the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline reached $5.17, the highest point for fuel costs since December 2022, according to the data.

Thursday also marked the first time in months that gas has averaged above $5 per gallon for more than six consecutive days, the data showed.

What caused gas prices spike?

Extreme heat likely played a major role in the recent surge in prices, which impacted drivers across the country.

“Last month’s extreme heat played a role in the recent spike in gas prices due to some refineries pulling back, but now operations are getting back to normal,” AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in a news release. “Coupled with tepid demand and declining oil prices, this may help take the steam out of the tight supply price jolts we’ve seen lately.”

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, told The Sacramento Bee that California gas prices are “probably going to bounce around the $5 mark for the next several weeks.”

Once demand goes down toward the end of August and early September, and California switches from its summer blend, the prices could dip back down again, according to De Haan.

Where to find the cheapest gas in SLO County

Though the prices might be high right now, there are still some places in San Luis Obispo County where drivers will pay less than $5 per gallon.

The 10 least expensive gas stations in SLO County, according to GasBuddy are:

• Fastrip Fuel and Wayside Liquors, 710 Creston Road, Paso Robles: $4.59 per gallon
• Conserv Fuel, 254 Santa Rosa St., San Luis Obispo: $4.73
• ARCO, 6100 San Anselmo Road, Atascadero: $4.75
• Costco, 1540 Froom Ranch Way, San Luis Obispo: $4.79
• Conserv Fuel, 2211 Broad St., San Luis Obispo: $4.79
• Stagecoach Liquor, 5145 El Camino Real, Atascadero $4.79
• ARCO, 195 Niblick Road, Paso Robles: $4.79
• Circle K, 6930 Morro Road, Atascadero: $4.83
• One Stop Food, 703 Spring St., Paso Robles: $4.85
• Valero, 157 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, $4.85

Kaytlyn Leslie

The Tribune

805-781-7928 (voicemails only)

Kaytlyn Leslie writes about business and development for The San Luis Obispo Tribune. Hailing from Nipomo, she also covers city governments and happenings in San Luis Obispo. She joined The Tribune in 2013 after graduating from Cal Poly with her journalism degree.