SAN DIEGO — After several weeks of relief, gas prices are climbing once again in California.
The average for a gallon of regular unleaded in the county is $6.20, the highest since July 5th.
That's nearly 70 cents more than $5.52 a week ago.
The soaring gas prices are hitting consumers hard. Prices jumped 15.7 cents a gallon overnight.
"We’re college students right now, and $7 – that’s ridiculous. We’re from San Francisco and even there, it never got this high," said Ella Mara.
Drivers like Ava Mara, payed $7.19 at a Shell gas station on Washington Street in Hillcrest.
"I literally had to put 20 dollars cause that’s all the money I had," said Mara.
The American Automobile Association says the spike in prices is blamed on both ‘planned’ and ‘unplanned’ refinery maintenance, but Charles Langley, executive director of Public Watchdog, says what’s happening is ‘unjustifiable.’
"It’s unprecedented and I'm concerned that what we’re seeing may be opportunistic price gouging where oil companies are taking advantage of a very bad situation and raising the prices at record high levels," said Langley.
Langley adds that spikes in prices don’t usually happen this time of year because of the switch to winter-blend fuel that is cheaper than summer blends.
"This is a time of year when refineries typically do their turn arounds, when demand is relatively low and if when if anything, there is actually a bit of surplus gasoline on the market and prices would normally continue to drop throughout the year up until January 1st. So this is highly anomalous, very unusual and very disturbing to see," added Langley.
He adds that the biggest issue is the anti-competitive, wholesale gasoline market, "the cost of these specialty fuel blends is no more than 8 to 12 cents per gallon, is not the type of thing that justifies a dollar a gallon gouge gap between what we were paying earlier this year when oil prices were much higher."
Langley says if prices continue to soar, San Diego will see record-breaking prices in a few weeks.
"This if frustrating, it needs to stop," said Elissa Geyfen, college student.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego County gas rises 15.7 cents per gallon Thursday to $6.20 (September 2022)