West Coast leads drop in average diesel prices, pulling down U.S. average

West Coast diesel prices pulled down the average price for a gallon of diesel fuel across the U.S. three-quarters of a cent from last week, according to the weekly report issued for Monday, July 22, by the Energy Information Administration.

While the U.S. average decreased seven-tenths of a cent, the average price for the West Coast as a whole went down 1.3 cents. The average price for the West Coast without California went down 1.1 cents, and the average price for California went down 1.3 cents, from the previous week.

The EIA also reported a drop in the average for the Central Atlantic region going down 1.3 cents.

The average price for diesel fuel is below $3 per gallon in four regions: Lower Atlantic, Midwest, Gulf Coast, and Rocky Mountain.

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

U.S. – $3.044, down seven-tenths of a cent.
East Coast – $3.072, down four-fifths of a cent.
New England – $3.122, down nine-tenths of a cent.
Central Atlantic – $3.259, down 1.3 cents.
Lower Atlantic – $2.937, up two-fifths of a cent.
Midwest – $2.948, down four-fifths of a cent.
Gulf Coast – $2.804, down one-tenth of a cent.
Rocky Mountain – $2.978, up three-tenths of a cent.
West Coast – $3.611, down 1.3 cents.
West Coast without California – $3.198, down 1.1 cents.
California – $3.939, down 1.3 cents.

The national average U.S. retail price for diesel fuel dropped a half cent on Monday, July 22, 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.

As with the EIA, prices in the West Coast showed the most change, with the average price for the West Coast region as a whole dropping 1.7 cents, for West Coast without California dropping 2.2 cents and the average price for California dropping just under a penny per gallon.

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

U.S. – $2.952, down a half cent.
East Coast – $3.033, down one-fifth of a cent.
New England – $3.08, down seven-tenths of a cent.
Central Atlantic – $3.226, down a half cent.
Lower Atlantic – $2.924, no change.
Midwest – $2.909, down a half cent.
Gulf Coast – $2.815, down one-fifth of a cent.
Rocky Mountain – $2.946, down two-fifths of a cent.
West Coast – $3.432, down 1.7 cents.
West Coast less California – $3.137, down 2.2 cents.
California – $3.855, down nine-tenths of a cent.

Click here to view ProMiles fuel data averaged by state.

AAA reported a national average price per gallon for diesel fuel at $3.001 for Monday, July 22. It also is lower than a week ago.

A week previous, the price was $3.01, or nine-tenths of a cent higher.

A month previous, AAA reported $2.994 per gallon of diesel fuel, and a year ago $3.158 per gallon.

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