National fuel averages dip below $4

Both the ProMiles and EIA weekly reports now show a national average fuel price of less than $4 per gallon of diesel, according to data from Monday, Dec. 18. ProMiles.com said the national diesel average is now $3.979 per gallon, a 10-cent drop from last week.

ProMiles produces a report that is similar to one published weekly by the federal Energy Information Administration. A key difference between the two reports is the type and number of fueling stations used to calculate averages. While ProMiles uses its direct feed from thousands of truck stops to develop its averages, EIA surveys 400 truck stops and convenience stores nationwide. Like ProMiles, EIA gives the average price of diesel for the previous week.

Several regions also were down by 10 cents or more. California reported a drop of 13 cents, the West Coast region fell by 12.1 cents and the Midwest and Lower Atlantic declined by just over 11 cents.

Reporting a fuel price drop just below 10 cents were the Gulf Coast (9.6 cents), Rocky Mountain (9.4 cents) and West Coast without California (9.4 cents) regions.

According to ProMiles, four regions now have a fuel average below $4 per gallon.

With a price per gallon of $3.58, the Gulf Coast region reported the lowest average of any region this week.

The average U.S. price for a gallon of diesel on Monday, Dec. 18 as reported by ProMiles.com:

• U.S. – $3.979, down 10.1 cents
• East Coast – $4.076, down 8.8 cents
• New England – $4.332, down 4 cents
• Central Atlantic – $4.419, down 5.6 cents
• Lower Atlantic – $3.84, down 11.3 cents
• Midwest – $3.837, down 11.4 cents
• Gulf Coast – $3.58, down 9.6 cents
• Rocky Mountain – $3.944, down 9.4 cents
• West Coast – $4.875, down 12.1 cents
• West Coast without California – $4.277, down 9.4 cents
• California – $5.426, down 13 cents

Click here to view ProMiles fuel data averaged by state.

AAA reported the retail average U.S. price per gallon of diesel at $4.008 for Monday, Dec. 18. A week ago, the average retail U.S. price was $4.101 per gallon.

A month ago, AAA reported $4.307 per gallon of diesel, and a year ago $4.778 per gallon. The highest recorded retail average U.S. diesel price was $5.816 per gallon on June 19, 2022.

EIA’s Monday, Dec. 18 report showed the national price per gallon for diesel decreased by 9.3 cents to $3.894

That national average for this past week was 70.2 cents less than it was one year ago.

The most significant fuel price drops came in the West Coast less California (15.7 cents), West Coast (14.7 cents), California (13.6 cents) and Rocky Mountain (11.6 cents) regions.

EIA said there are now five regions where a gallon of diesel is less than $4.

The average U.S. price for a gallon of diesel on Monday, Dec. 18 as reported by EIA:

• U.S. – $3.894, down 9.3 cents
• East Coast – $3.969, down 8.1 cents
• New England – $4.362, down 5.6 cents
• Central Atlantic – $4.336, down 7 cents
• Lower Atlantic – $3.793, down 8.7 cents
• Midwest – $3.806, down 9.4 cents
• Gulf Coast – $3.569, down 7.1 cents
• Rocky Mountain – $3.933, 11.6 cents
• West Coast – $4.655, down 14.7 cents
• West Coast less California – $4.153, down 15.7 cents
• California – $5.231, down 13.6 cents LL

Last week’s fuel report is here.