Downward slide for average diesel fuel price stalls

Weekly decreases in the U.S. average price for a gallon of diesel as reported by the federal Energy Information Administration fuel have stopped after 14 weeks.

On Monday, Jan. 28, the EIA reported the average price for a gallon of diesel across the U.S. remained the same as last Monday. The price is 10.5 cents lower than the price one year ago.

On average, prices in East Coast went up 1.3 cents with the increases in Central Atlantic and Lower Atlantic states offsetting price declines in New England states.

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

• U.S. – $2.965, no change.
• East Coast – $3.05, up 1.3 cents.
• New England – $3.188, down three-tenths of a cent.
• Central Atlantic – $3.237, up 2.2 cents.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.893, up nine-tenths of a cent.
• Midwest – $2.806, down one-tenth of a cent.
• Gulf Coast – $2.789, down one-tenth of a cent.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.911, down 3.3 cents.
• West Coast – $3.448, down 1.5 cents.
• West Coast without California – $3.099, down 1.6 cents.
• California – $3.726, down 1.3 cents.

ProMiles reports national average U.S. retail price for diesel on Monday, Jan. 28, dropping another penny from the week previous to $2.855 per gallon. Lower average prices were not reported for every region, however.

In East Coast states, prices nudged up less than a cent, except in the Lower Atlantic area, where the price remained the same as last Monday.

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. – $2.855, down 1.3 cents.
• East Coast – $3, up one-fifth of a cent.
• New England – $3.17, up two-fifths of a cent.
• Central Atlantic – $3.222, up four-fifths of a cent.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.867, no change.
• Midwest – $2.763, down nine-tenths of a cent.
• Gulf Coast – $2.77, down one-fifth of a cent.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.916, down 3.7 cents.
• West Coast – $3.264, down 1.6 cents.
• West Coast less California – $3.038, down 1.4 cents.
• California – $3.627, down 1.2 cents.

AAA reports a national average price per gallon for diesel fuel at $2.919 for Monday, Jan. 28.

A week previous, the price was $2.921.

A month previous, AAA reported $3.014 per gallon of diesel fuel and a year ago $2.971 per gallon.

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