Diesel price climbs 3 cents

After four weeks of declines, the national average retail price of a gallon of diesel rose 3 cents to $2.803 during the week ending Monday, May 21, almost 9 cents lower than the same week in 2006.

The 3-cent jump is modest compared to gas prices, which leaped to record levels — up 5 cents to $3.10 per gallon, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. On the West Coast, drivers who use gas were paying an average $3.38 per gallon.

Diesel prices rose in nearly every region tracked by DOE except the Rockies, where prices fell a half-cent to $2.993. Still, it was the most expensive diesel in the country.

The nation’s cheapest diesel was in the Gulf Coast region at $2.747.

For state-by-state diesel prices, updated daily, click here.