Another weekly decrease brings average U.S. diesel fuel price closer to $3/gallon

The 10th consecutive weekly price drop has brought the average retail prices for a gallon of diesel fuel to just a few pennies above the $3 mark, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

On Monday, Dec. 24, reported the average price for a gallon of diesel fuel across the U.S. dropped 4.4 cents to $3.077. There are three regions – the Lower Atlantic, Midwest and Gulf Coast – where the average price for a gallon of diesel fuel dropped below $3 per gallon.

The price is 17.4 cents higher than one year ago Monday.

Following are the average diesel fuel prices by region as reported by the EIA for Monday:

• U.S. – $3.077, down 4.4 cents.
• East Coast – $3.132, down 3.3 cents.
• New England – $3.237, down 3.9 cents.
• Central Atlantic – $3.31, down 3.2 cents.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.987, down 3.42 cents.
• Midwest – $2.944, down 7.4 cents.
• Gulf Coast – $2.869, down 3.1 cents.
• Rocky Mountain – $3.11, down 6.8 cents.
• West Coast – $3.588, down 1.6 cents.
• West Coast without California – $3.281, down 3.2 cents.
• California – $3.832, down three-tenths of a cent.

ProMiles reports national average retail price for diesel fuel on Monday, Dec. 24, dropping almost a nickel from the week previous to just a whisper above $3 per gallon.

ProMiles, the software company that maintains the websites ProMiles.com and TruckMiles.com, offers its own weekly fuel price information. The company’s fuel price data are presented in the same format used by the EIA in the agency’s weekly reports. The prices include a national average as well as regional averages, and comparisons to the previous week and the previous year.

A key difference between the EIA and ProMiles reporting is the type and number of fueling stations the company surveys in order to calculate its averages. While EIA surveys 400 truck stops and convenience stores nationwide, ProMiles uses its direct feed from thousands of truck stops to develop its averages.

As with the EIA data, according to Promiles the average retail price for diesel is less than $3 per gallon in three regions: the Lower Atlantic, Midwest and Gulf Coast.

The U.S. average cost is 15.1 cents higher per gallon of diesel than one year ago.

Following are the average diesel fuel prices by region as reported by the ProMiles.com:

• U.S. – $3.002, down 4.8 cents.
• East Coast – $3.10, down 3.6 cents.
• New England – $3.241, down 2.4 cents.
• Central Atlantic – $3.315, down 3.5 cents.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.971, down 3.5 cents.
• Midwest – $2.936, down 5.8 cents.
• Gulf Coast – $2.875, down 4 cents.
• Rocky Mountain – $3.136, down 5.9 cents.
• West Coast – $3.43, down 3.6 cents.
• West Coast less California – $3.23, down 2.9cents.
• California – $3.745, down 4.7 cents.

AAA reports a national average price per gallon for diesel fuel at $3.026 for Wednesday, Dec. 24

A week previous, the price was $3.027.

A month previous, AAA reported $3.199 per gallon and a year ago $2.837 per gallon.

The highest recorded average price for diesel was $4.845 per gallon on July 17, 2008, according to AAA.