Average diesel fuel price keeps on downward slide

Now for 14 consecutive weeks, the U.S. average price for a gallon of diesel reported by the federal Energy Information Administration fuel has again dropped.

On Monday, Jan. 21, the EIA reported the average price for a gallon of diesel across the U.S. dropped another penny. The price is 6 cents lower than the price one year ago.

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

• U.S. – $2.965, down 1.1 cents.
• East Coast – $3.037, down 1.2 cents.
• New England – $3.191, down 1.7 cents.
• Central Atlantic – $3.215, down one-fifth of a cent.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.884, down 1.9 cents.
• Midwest – $2.807, down 1.6 cents.
• Gulf Coast – $2.79, up one-fifth of a cent.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.944, down 4.3 cents.
• West Coast – $3.463, down four-fifths of a cent.
• West Coast without California – $3.115, down 1.5 cents.
• California – $3.739, down three-tenths of a cent.

ProMiles reports national average U.S. retail price for diesel on Monday, Jan. 21, dropping 2 cents from the week previous to $2.87 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.

While price decreases were tabulated for all other regions, the average price in California increased slightly.

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

• U.S. – $2.87, down 2 cents.
• East Coast – $2.999, down 1.5 cents.
• New England – $3.167, down 1.5 cents.
• Central Atlantic – $3.214, down 1.7 cents.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.867, down 1.5 cents.
• Midwest – $2.775, down 2.5 cents.
• Gulf Coast – $2.772, down 1.1 cents.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.96, down 4.2 cents.
• West Coast – $3.281, down 2.8 cents.
• West Coast less California – $3.055, down 4.5 cents.
• California – $3.638, up one-fifth of a cent.

AAA reports a national average price per gallon for diesel fuel at $2.919 for Tuesday, Jan. 22.

A week previous, the price was $2.931.

A month previous, AAA reported $3.042 per gallon of diesel fuel and a year ago $2.946 per gallon.