Across the U.S., diesel prices continue to slide

Diesel prices on average continued to go down across the U.S., according to the Energy Information Administration.

The EIA reports five consecutive weeks of declining prices.

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

• U.S. – $2.976, down 1.6 cents
• East Coast – $3.024, down 2.2 cents
• New England – 3.017, down 1.9 cents
• Central Atlantic – $3.221, down 1.9 cents
• Lower Atlantic – $2.871, down 2.36 cents
• Midwest – $2.899, up 2.1 cents
• Gulf Coast – $2.274, down four-tenths of a cent
• Rocky Mountain – $2.903, down seven-tenths of a cent
• West Coast – $3.386, down six-thentsh of a cent
• West Coast less California – $3.052, down 1.2 cents
• California – $3.652, unchanged

ProMiles also reports prices for diesel being down across the U.S., and they report lower prices in all regions, including California and the West Coast. The nation’s average prices for a gallon of diesel is 1.9 cents lower than last week, to $2.912.

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. – $2.912, down 1.9 cents
• East Coast – $3.007, down 2.1 cents
• New England – $3129, down 2.4 cents
• Central Atlantic – $3.248, down 1.3 cents
• Lower Atlantic – $2.873, down 3 cents
• Midwest – $2.89, down 2.5 cents
• Gulf Coast – $2.768, down 1.9 cents
• Rocky Mountain – $2.881, down 1.2 cents
• West Coast – $3.241, down 1.3 cents
• West Coast less California – $2.984, down 1.3 cents
• California – $3.61, down 1.4 cents

AAA has indexed diesel prices at $2.937 for Monday. A week ago, the price was $2.947 per gallon, a month ago $2.992 per gallon and a year ago, $2.522 per gallon.

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