Diesel fuel indexes show first price decrease in two months

Both the federal Energy Information Administration and mileage-tracking software company ProMiles each report decreases in the national U.S. average price for a gallon of diesel fuel on Monday compared to last week, the first time since Aug. 20.

According to the federal EIA, the average cost for a gallon of diesel fuel nationwide on Monday, Oct. 22, was down 1.4 cents.

ProMiles reports the U.S. average being down nearly a penny.

Both indexes are relatively consistent with their numbers, with EIA and ProMiles both showing increases in the New England and Rocky Mountain regions.

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

• U.S. – $3.38, down 1.4 cents
• East Coast – $3.369, down 1.3 cents
• New England – $3.368, up seven-tenths of a cent
• Central Atlantic – $3.533, down 1.1 cents
• Lower Atlantic – $3.254, down 1.8 cents
• Midwest – $3.333, down 1.8 cents
• Gulf Coast – $3.152, down 2 cents
• Rocky Mountain – $3.408, up eight-tenths of a cent
• West Coast – $3.871, down nine-tenths of a cent
• West Coast less California – $3.587, down four-tenths of a cent
• California – $4.096, down 1.3 cents

Both the EIA and ProMiles reported last week increases varying from less than a penny to nearly 5 cents per gallon for the U.S. average, respectively.

Today’s average price is 58.3 cents higher than a year ago, according to EIA.

ProMiles reports national average retail price for diesel on Monday, Oct. 22, being eight-tenths of a cent lower than the week previous.

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.

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

• U.S. – $3.32, down eight-tenths of a cent
• East Coast – $3.351, down three-tenths of a cent
• New England – $3.319, up 1.6 cents
• Central Atlantic – $3.551, unchanged
• Lower Atlantic – $3.245, down five-tenths of a cent
• Midwest – $3.31, down 1.4 cents
• Gulf Coast – $3.172, down four-tenths of a cent
• Rocky Mountain – $3.406, up 1.1 cents
• West Coast – $3.745, down eight-tenths of a cent
• West Coast less California, $3.511, down one-tenth of a cent
• California, $4.068, down four-tenths of a cent

AAA reports a national average price per gallon for diesel fuel at $3.294 for Monday, Oct. 22.

A week previous, the price was $3.298.

A month previous, AAA reported $3.186 per gallon and a year ago $2.73 per gallon.

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