LOS ANGELES --- Southern California gas prices continued setting new daily records over the past week, increasing by more than a penny a day in most locations, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $3.736, which is 9.7 cents more than last week, 18 cents higher than last month, and 47 cents above last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.754, which is 7.9 cents higher than last week’s price, 17.5 cents above last month, and 45 cents higher than last year.

On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.859, up 10.1 cents from last week, 18 cents above last month, and 48 cents more than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $3.731, 9.4 cents over last week, up 18 cents from last month, and 44 cents higher than last year.

"California gas prices have increased by almost 20 percent since the beginning of the year," said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. "But as bad as that is, oil industry analysts point out that the price increases for diesel, jet fuel and heating oil since the beginning of the year have been even higher. The $100-a-barrel prices for crude oil are the primary driver behind all of these fuel price increases."