Average Diesel Price Rises 1.8 Cents to $1.504

he average retail price of diesel fuel in the United States rose 1.8 cents per gallon to $1.504, the highest price since April 28, the Department of Energy reported Monday.

Over the past three weeks, diesel has increased 2.8 cents and is currently 6.4 cents higher than the corresponding week a year ago.

DOE also said the average price for regular unleaded gasoline rose 2 cents to $1.485 a gallon, the first increase in a month.

Also Monday, the price of crude oil in New York staged its biggest one-day drop in a month, as mild Northeast weather was expected to trim fuel demand.

Crude oil for February delivery was down $1.12 or 3.4% at $31.90 a barrel at the 2:30 p.m. close of floor trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The average price of diesel increased 2 cents in the Midwest and 2.2 cents in both the East Coast grouping of states and Gulf Coast. However, the Gulf still has the lowest diesel price in the nation at $1.457.

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

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