Diesel Average Price Dips 0.3 Cent to $2.915 a Gallon

he national average retail price of diesel fuel fell 0.3 cent to $2.915 a gallon, the Department of Energy said Monday.

Meanwhile, the price of regular gasoline fell 3.5 cents to $2.871 a gallon, DOE said following its weekly survey of diesel and gasoline filling stations.

The diesel decline followed a 2.8-cent increase last week and a 0.8-cent uptick two weeks ago, which had in turn followed declines of 0.6 cent three weeks ago and 3.2 cents four weeks ago.

With the trucking industry burning 700 million gallons of diesel a week, costs this week are about $420 million higher than the same week last year.

f the five national regions, diesel rose only on the Gulf Coast, by 1.1 cents to $2.859.

It fell by 3.2 cents both on the West Coast and in California to $3.117 and $3.185, respectively, the highest reported prices. DOE breaks out California separately from its five national regions.

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