Average U.S. diesel fuel price drops; price rises in some regions

The average diesel fuel price continued to fall from one week ago, according to a federal report, but there is a flicker suggesting the price descent may be stalling.

The drop in the U.S. average to $2.394 was only a half-cent, according to a May 11 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and there were small increases in some regional averages.

This is the 18th consecutive week for the average U.S. price to drop. Weekly average diesel fuel prices for the U.S. have been dropping since Jan. 6.

One year ago the average U.S. price was 76.6 cents higher.

Average prices rose less than a cent for the Gulf Coast and for the West Coast. For the West Coast without California, the average rose. 1.2 cents.

Average U.S. price for a gallon of diesel fuel as reported by the EIA:

• U.S. – $2.394, down a half of a cent.
• East Coast – $2498, down 1.2 cents.
• New England – $2.63, down 2.2 cents.
• Central Atlantic – $2.68, down four-fifths of a cent.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.248, down 1.2 cents.
  Midwest – $2.24, down four-fifths of a cent.
• Gulf Coast – $2.178, up nine-tenths of a cent.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.346, down 2.4 cents.
• West Coast – $2.90, up one-tenth of a cent.
• West Coast without California – $2.557, up 1.2 cents.
• California – $3.182, down nine-tenths of a cent.

ProMiles.com reports the average price for diesel fuel in the U.S. on Monday, May 11, dropped 2.3 cents from the Monday before.

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.

The lowest regional average prices per gallon for diesel fuel are in the Gulf Coast region, at $2.152, and the Midwest, less than 3 cents higher at $2.18 per gallon. Decreases were reported for all regions in the ProMiles.com report.

Here are the average U.S. prices for a gallon of diesel reported for each region by ProMiles.com:

• U.S. – $2.272, down 2.3 cents.
• East Coast – $2.448, down 2 cents.
• New England – $2.643, down four-fifths of a cent.
• Central Atlantic – $2.613, down 2.5 cents.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.329, down 2 cents.
• Midwest – $2.18, down 2.1 cents.
• Gulf Coast – $2.152, down 2.3 cents.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.32, down 3.8 cents.
• West Coast – $2.698, down 3 cents.
• West Coast without California – $2.485, down 2.2 cents.
• California – $3.019, up 4.2 cents.

Click here to view ProMiles fuel data averaged by state. 

AAA reported the retail average U.S. price per gallon of diesel fuel at $2.42 for Monday, May 11.

A week previous the average retail U.S. price for a gallon of diesel fuel was $2.434 per gallon.

A month previous, AAA reported $2.536 per gallon of diesel, and a year ago $3.101 per gallon.

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

Last week’s fuel report is here.