Diesel prices nudge down for a fifth consecutive week

The U.S. average diesel price per gallon fell by less than a penny from the past week to $2.387 a gallon, according to a weekly federal report dated Monday, Oct. 5.

The Energy Information Administration reports decreases across six of its 10 regions, with increased averages reported in two regions. Both the East Coast and West Coast regions had prices remain unchanged.

Monday’s report marks the fifth straight week of declines in the average price at the pump.

The biggest decrease was in the West Coast without California, where prices dropped by 2 cents.

One year ago the average U.S. price was 66 cents per gallon higher, according to the EIA.

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

• U.S. – $2.387, down seven-tenths of a cent.
• East Coast – $2.473, unchanged since last week.
• New England – $2.577, down 1.5 cents.
• Central Atlantic – $2.655, down three-tenths of a cent.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.328, up half a cent.
• Midwest – $2.259, down 1 cent.
• Gulf Coast – $2.141, down 1.3 cents.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.319, down 1.7 cents.
• West Coast – $2.928, unchanged since last week.
• West Coast without California – $2.534, down 2 cents.
• California – $3.252, up 1.6 cents.

ProMiles.com reports the average U.S. retail price per gallon for diesel barely budged, dropping only three-tenths of a cents from a week before, according to a Monday, Oct. 5, report.

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.

Decreases were recorded for seven of the 10 regions, according to ProMiles.com, with the largest decrease of 1.7 cents coming in California and the Rocky Mountain regions. Increases of three-tenths of a cent and 1.5 cents were reported in the Midwest and Central Atlantic regions, respectively. The average price for diesel in the East Coast region remains the same as the previous week.

The U.S. average diesel price is 66.1 cents lower than one year ago, ProMiles.com reports.

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

• U.S. – $2.308, down three-tenths of a cent.
• East Coast – $2.442, unchanged since last week.
• New England – $2.59, down seven-tenths of a cent.
• Central Atlantic – $2.657, up 1.5 cents.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.306, down four-fifths of a cent.
• Midwest – $2.232, up three-tenths of a cent.
• Gulf Coast – $2.141, down 1 penny.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.304, down 1.7 cents.
• West Coast – $2.758 down 1.5 cents.
• West Coast without California – $2.455, down nine-tenths of a cent.
• California – $3.176, down 1.7 cents.

Click here to view ProMiles fuel data averaged by state.

AAA reported the retail average U.S. price per gallon of diesel at $2.385 for Monday, Oct. 5.

A week previous the average retail U.S. price for a gallon of diesel was $2.39 per gallon.

A month previous, AAA reported $2.426 per gallon of diesel, and a year ago $3.007 per gallon.

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

Last week’s fuel report is here. LL