California gas prices will drop to below $4 per gallon soon, GasBuddy says

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- Relief at the pump may be days away. That's the prediction of one company whose business deals in getting drivers connected with real time fuel prices.

For drivers, like Celia Alger, it seems the drop can't come soon enough. While filling up in West Hollywood, she couldn't contain disbelief over hearing gas prices might actually drop.

"Refinery fires always make the prices go up here in California. I'll believe it when I see it," Alger said.

Alger is talking about the flames that spread at a Carson refinery at the Phillips 66 facility last Thursday. It was the second fire there in two months.

But experts at GasBuddy, an app which connects drivers to real time fuel prices, say those refinery fires didn't push prices up. In fact, they say drivers will soon be saving money when they fill up.

"It's going to come in the form of maybe a penny or two everyday so this is not necessarily going to be a plunge overnight," said Patrick DeHaan, the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

Anything, says Alger, will help, who drives for a living.

"I deliver groceries. I do instacart." She said. "I'm getting hit every cent of the way. I have to factor in the jobs that I take so that I can factor in the gas for the week. It's a gig economy and those of us who do a good job have to pay the price."

Last month, soaring gas prices even caught Gov. Gavin Newsom's eye. He called for a special investigation determined to seek out why fuel prices spiked.

GasBuddy predicts gas prices in California will drop below $4 a gallon sooner rather than later.

"Production of gas is increasing which has pushed down gasoline prices on the West Coast considerably enough to be able to easily say that gas price relief will continue and more of it is on it's way," DeHaan said.

Before West Hollywood driver Todd Calsyn left for work, he said as he laughed, "I think it's going to make a lot of people happy."

Until then, Alger says there's only thing she half jokingly asks of her clients. "Please tip, tipping pays for my gas. Please tip me!"