U.S. diesel fuel price drops for 11th straight week

For the 11th week running, the U.S. average price for a gallon of diesel fuel has decreased, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

On Monday, Dec. 31, reported the average price for a gallon of diesel across the U.S. dropped nearly 3 cents to $3.048.

The price is 7.5 cents higher than one year ago Monday. The month of December 2018 started off with the EIA reporting an average price per gallon of diesel fuel 28.5 cents higher than one year previous.

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

• U.S. – $3.048, down 2.9 cents.
• East Coast – $3.11, 2.2 cents.
• New England – $3.234, down three-tenths of a cent.
• Central Atlantic – $3.286, down 2.4 cents.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.965, down 2.2 cents.
• Midwest – $2.907, down 3.7 cents.
• Gulf Coast – $2.841, down 2.8 cents.
• Rocky Mountain – $3.071, down 3.9 cents.
• West Coast – $3.562, down 2.6 cents.
• West Coast without California – $3.246, down 3.5 cents.
• California – $3.813, down 1.9 cents.

ProMiles reports national average retail price for diesel on Monday, Dec. 31, dropping 4 cents from the week previous, pulling the average price to under $3 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.

As with the EIA data, according to ProMiles the average retail price for diesel is less than $3 per gallon in three regions: the Lower Atlantic, Midwest and Gulf Coast.

The U.S. average price for diesel fuel is 4 cents higher per gallon of diesel than one year ago, according to ProMiles. Last week, the U.S. average price was 15.1 cents higher than a year previous.

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

• U.S. – $2.962, down 4 cents.
• East Coast – $3.070, down 3 cents.
• New England – $3.213, down 2.8 cents.
• Central Atlantic – $3.28, down 3.5 cents.
• Lower Atlantic – $2.942, down 2.9 cents.
• Midwest – $2.887, down 4.9 cents.
• Gulf Coast – $2.839, down 3.6 cents.
• Rocky Mountain – $3.081, down 55 cents.
• West Coast – $3.398, down 3.2 cents.
• West Coast less California – $3.196, down 3.4 cents.
• California – $3.72, down 2.5 cents.

AAA reports a national average price per gallon for diesel fuel at $2.989 for Wednesday, Jan. 2

A week previous, the price was $3.036.

A month previous, AAA reported $3.158 per gallon of diesel fuel and a year ago $2.877 per gallon.

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