After three consecutive weeks of price increases, the national average retail price of a gallon of diesel slid 0.9 cent to $2.870 for the week ending Monday, Jan. 18. The price, which had climbed 15.3 cents since Dec. 21, is still 57.4 cents higher than the same week last year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, which delayed its report one day because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Regions tracked by DOE saw a mix of price increases and decreases. The biggest increase, 1.3 cents, was found in the Rocky Mountains, where prices climbed to $2.827, still the nation’s least expensive diesel by region. The biggest decrease, 2.4 cents, was found on the West Coast, where prices fell to $2.947. The nation’s most expensive diesel by region, $3.065, was found in New England, where prices fell 0.3 cent.
California, which DOE tracks separately for its weekly update, saw a price decrease of 2.4 cents to $3.008; that price is 68.9 cents higher than last year.
For a FuelSurchargeIndex.org chart comparing the latest DOE national average to the actual average price at the beginning of the day today in selected lanes, click here.
