Find Wildomar's Cheapest Gas As RivCo Prices Hike To $5.46 Per Gallon

WILDOMAR, CA — Lake Elsinore and Wildomar drivers are experiencing a lot more pain at the pump with every fill-up these days. The crowdsourced gas price tracking app GasBuddy revealed the lowest and highest gas prices across Riverside County.

Across Riverside County, the average price of gasoline rose Wednesday to its highest amount since Oct. 31, increasing 2.7 cents to $5.468. According to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service, the average price has increased 47 times in 53 days, rising 62.1 cents, including 3.4 cents Tuesday.

The average price is 15.3 cents more than one week ago, 36 cents higher than one month ago, and 18.7 cents above what it was one year ago. It has dropped 90.5 cents since rising to a record $6.373 on Oct. 5.

Where is the cheapest gas in the county? Patch looked it up for you as of Wednesday morning.

If you want to save on your fill-up, belonging to a membership club, such as— Costco or Sam's Club—has its benefits. The price of regular, unleaded gasoline weighed in between $4.84 in the desert and $4.99 per gallon in Temecula, Murrieta, and Lake Elsinore as of Wednesday morning. Premium gas prices at those locations hovered at $5.29, while diesel fuel costs were highest at $5.54 per gallon.

Drivers in Beaumont and Banning may wish to head a little further afield to fill up, such as in Jurupa Valley at the Roadrunner Express on Lake Park Drive and Soboba Road. TGasprices remain under $5, at $4.96 per gallon for regular unleaded. Beaumont's ARCO and the Highland Springs Shell gas stations are both selling regular gasoline at $5.19 per gallon.

Palm Desert drivers can still find the cheapest fuel in the county, as of Wednesday morning, with prices at membership clubs weighing in at $4.84 at Sam's Club and $4.95 per gallon at Costco. Both are located near Monterey Avenue and Dinah Shore Drive.

The national average price rose 1.2 cents to $3.848, the sixth consecutive increase since a run of six decreases in seven days totaling 2.4 cents ended Thursday when it was unchanged. That average is 4.5 cents more than one week ago and 14.1 cents higher than one year ago but unchanged from one month ago. It has dropped $1.168 since rising to a record $5.016 on June 14, 2022.

The reasons range from refinery snags to the expected price lowering over the weekend, according to Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. The app provides real-time prices at more than 150,000 stations, including many across Riverside County.

"With most of the nation switching back to cheaper winter gasoline on Saturday, we should see more price decreases for most of the nation in the weeks ahead, barring further refinery disruptions and hurricane season. Fall tends to bring falling gas prices, and I'm hoping this year won't be any different," he said.

In the meantime, you can make your fuel last longer, according to Consumer Reports.Some suggestions include:

• Never let your gas tank fall below half full.
• Follow the cheap gas prices on www.gasbuddy.com or Google search.
• Minimize your travel through carpooling or routing your activities.
• Follow the speed limit to improve your car's fuel economy.
• Maintain a steady driving pace and avoid hard acceleration or braking.
• Remove roof racks, rooftop boxes, and bike racks. Don't tow unless you have to.
• Buy good quality gas, but skip the premium fuel unless it is "required."
• Keep your tire pressure at the recommended levels.
• Open the windows and turn off the air conditioner.

City News Service and Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.