Slide in U.S. average diesel fuel price stops

The 19-week slide in the U.S. average diesel fuel price came to a stop Monday, according to a weekly federal report.

Instead of going down another week compared to the week before, the U.S. average diesel fuel price per gallon went up nearly a half cent, according to a May 25 report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, to a national average of $2.39.

Weekly average diesel fuel prices for the U.S. had begun dropping since Jan. 6.

This week only one region’s average diesel fuel price continued to drop. That was the Central Atlantic region, and the decrease was only one-tenth of a cent per gallon. The Gulf Coast region price did not change.

Average diesel fuel prices rose in all other regions, ranging from miniscule to as much as 1.8 cents per gallon in the West Coast region without California.

One year ago the average U.S. price was 76.1 cents per gallon higher, according to the EIA.

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

• U.S. – $2.39, up two-fifths of a cent.
• East Coast – $2.498, up seven-tenths of a cent.
• New England – $2.624, up two-fifths of a cent.
• Central Atlantic – $2.666, down one-tenth of a cent.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.359, up 1.4 cents.
• Midwest – $2.29, up one-tenth of a cent.
• Gulf Coast – $2.175, no change.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.348, up 1 cent.
• West Coast – $2.902, up 1.5 cents.
• West Coast without California – $2.561, up 1.8 cents.
• California – $3.182, up 1.2 cents.

ProMiles.com reports the average price for diesel fuel in the U.S. on Monday, May 26, was almost exactly the as a week ago, though increases were recorded for some regions.

For instance, California’s average diesel fuel price increased 1.4 cents per gallon from the Monday before, according to ProMiles.com. For the West Coast as a whole, however, the average diesel fuel price went down 1.8 cents per gallon.

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.

The U.S. average diesel fuel price per gallon is 80 cents less than one year ago, according to ProMiles.com.

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

• U.S. – $2.261, down one-tenth of a cent.
• East Coast – $2.44, up a half cent.
• New England – $2.611, down a half cent.
• Central Atlantic – $2.614, up one-fifth of a cent.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.322, up four-fifths of a cent.
• Midwest – $2.165, down a half cent.
• Gulf Coast – $2.136, down nine-tenths of a cent.
• Rocky Mountain – $2.299, down seven-tenths of a cent.
• West Coast – $2.656, down 1.8 cents.
• West Coast without California – $2.455, down nine-tenths of a cent.
• California – $3.025, up 1.4 cents.

Click here to view ProMiles fuel data averaged by state.

AAA reported the retail average U.S. price per gallon of diesel fuel at $2.412 for Tuesday, May 26.

A week previous the average retail U.S. price for a gallon of diesel fuel was $2.41 per gallon.

A month previous, AAA reported $2.467 per gallon of diesel, and a year ago $3.098 per gallon.

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

Last week’s fuel report is here.