U.S. diesel prices continue to slide for third week

The average price for a gallon of diesel fuel across the U.S. dropped a penny from last week, according to the weekly report issued for Monday, July 29, by the Energy Information Administration.

This is the third consecutive week that the U.S. average price has decreased. Lower average prices were reported in all regions except California. There, the price barely rose by one-tenths of a cent.

New England’s average increased the most, by 1.6 cents per gallon.

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

U.S. – $3.034, down 1 cent.
East Coast – $3.059, down 1.3 cents.
New England – $3.106, down 1.6 cents.
Central Atlantic – $3.246, down 1.3 cents.
Lower Atlantic – $2.924, down 1.3 cents.
Midwest – $2.94, down four-fifths of a cent.
Gulf Coast – $2.793, down 1.1 cents.
Rocky Mountain – $2.967, down 1.1 cents.
West Coast – $3.606, down a half of a cent.
West Coast without California – $3.186, down 1.2 cents.
California – $3.94, up one-tenth of a cent.

The national average U.S. retail price for diesel fuel dropped 1.4 cents on Monday, July 29, from a week ago, according to ProMiles.

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 largest decrease was recorded in the Midwest. The average price dropped in every region except New England, where it increased a tiny amount.

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

U.S. – $2.938, down 1.4 cents.
East Coast – $3.025, down four-fifths of a cent.
New England – $3.081, up one-tenth of a cent.
Central Atlantic – $3.219, down seven-tenths of a cent.
Lower Atlantic – $2.911, down 1.3 cents.
Midwest – $2.892, down 1.7 cents.
Gulf Coast – $2.80, down 1.5 cents.
Rocky Mountain – $2.936, down 1 cent.
West Coast – $3.427, down a half cent.
West Coast less California – $3.133, down two-fifths of a cent.
California – $3.843, down 1.2 cents.

Click here to view ProMiles fuel data averaged by state.

AAA reported a national average price per gallon for diesel fuel at $2.99 for Monday, July 29.

A week previous, the price was $3.01.

A month previous, AAA reported $2.997 per gallon of diesel fuel, and a year ago $3.154 per gallon.

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