Average U.S. diesel fuel price snaps downward trend

After nine weeks of decreasing average diesel prices across the U.S., the average retail cost for a gallon of diesel increased 1.6 cents, according to the weekly report issued for Monday, Sept. 16, by the Energy Information Administration.

Despite the increase, the U.S. average diesel fuel price is 28.1 cents lower than one year ago.

Diesel fuel prices are expected to continue to rise in response to a drone attack Saturday on an oil facility in Saudi Arabia. The West Texas Intermediate benchmark for U.S. went up $7 per barrel in early trading today. Staff Writer Tyson Fisher has more on the forecast here.

The West Coast excluding California notched the greatest increase from a week ago of 3 cents per gallon. The average for the Rocky Mountain region is 2.6 higher than last Monday, and California’s price is 2.3 cents higher than a week ago.

Only for the Central Atlantic region was a decrease in the average diesel fuel price recorded.

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

• U.S. – $2.987, up 1.6 cents.
• East Coast – $2.998, up three-fifths of a cent.
• New England – $3.013, down nine-tenths of a cent.
• Central Atlantic – $3.177, up 1.6 cents.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.873, up three-tenths of a cent.
• Midwest – $2.882, up 1.8 cent.
• Gulf Coast – $2.761, up 1.6 cents.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.959, up 2.6 cents.
• West Coast – $3.574, up 2.6 cents.
• West Coast without California – $3.161, up 3 cents.
• California – $3.901, up 2.3 cents.

ProMiles also reports a reversal of recent weekly diesel fuel price decreases, but not as great as the EIA.

On Monday, Sept. 16, the average U.S. retail price for diesel fuel went up a half cent from the previous Monday.

Prices went up most in the West Coast region without California, where the increase was 2.2 cents.

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.

Average regional prices decreased a fraction of a cent everywhere except in California, where the price went down a whole cent, and New England, where the average price increased one-tenth of a cent.

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

• U.S. – $2.875, up a half of a cent.
• East Coast – $2.961, up seven-tenths of a cent.
• New England – $3.001, down 1.6 cents.
• Central Atlantic – $3.164, up four-fifths of a cent.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.848, up three-tenths cent.
• Midwest – $2.823, no change.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.914, up 1.3 cents.
• West Coast – $3.387, up 1.6 cents.
• West Coast less California – $3.123, up 2.2 cents.
• California – $3.786, up nine-tenths of a cent.

Click here to view ProMiles fuel data averaged by state.

AAA reported a national average price per gallon for diesel fuel at $2.925 for Monday, Sept 16.

A week previous, the price was $2.924.

A month previous, AAA reported $2.954 per gallon of diesel fuel, and a year ago $3.185 per gallon.

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