Diesel Price Falls a Penny to $2.596 a Gallon

The average price of U.S. retail diesel fuel fell a penny to $2.596 a gallon, the Department of Energy said Tuesday.

The average national price of gasoline, meanwhile, rose 2.1 cents to $2.341 — 14.4 cents higher than the same week in 2005.

The slight drop in the diesel average followed last week’s 1.5-cent decline, which was the first dip following five weeks of price increases that had been led by big spikes in the California and West Coast prices.

Prices in those regions receded 3.2 and 3.1 cents, respectively, on Tuesday to $2.885 in California and $2.856 on the West Coast, the nation’s highest prices.

The lowest regional price was in the Gulf Coast region, at $2.514 a gallon.

This week’s price survey was released Tuesday because of the Christmas holiday on Monday.

Each week, DOE surveys 350 diesel filling stations to compile a national snapshot average price.