A seven week downward trend ended as consumer demand for gasoline pushed prices up across the Southland this week, 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 $3.253 which is 7.1 cents higher than last week, seven cents lower than last month and 77 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.260, 7.4 cents above last week’s price, seven cents below last month and 73 cents above last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.398, up 4.1 cents from last week, six cents below last month and 80 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $3.276, up seven cents from last week, eight cents below last month and 80 cents higher than last year.

When prices reached record highs in May motorists cut back driving considerably. Lower demand helped push prices lower,” said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. “But, declining prices and the start of summer resulted in higher demand for gas. That has put upward pressure on prices.”

Diesel fuel in the L.A., Long Beach area dipped to $3.27 a gallon 10 cents less than a month ago but 61 cents a gallon more than one year ago, according to AAA.