National Diesel Price Holds Steady, but Some Regional Prices Rise

The national average diesel price held fast at $1.70 a gallon last week, the Department of Energy reported Monday, but the price did move in some areas of the country.

Along the West Coast, diesel prices rose 1 cent per gallon to $1.969 a gallon, led by a 1.5-cent rise to $2.034 in California.

However, the average price fell 2 cents a gallon in the Rocky Mountain states to $1.815, DOE’s Energy Information Adminstration said.

EIA also said Monday the average retail price for regular gasoline fell 1.6 cents a gallon to $1.921.

This was the fifth straight decline in gasoline prices, pushing it to an eight-week low.

Meanwhile, diesel prices had fallen for five straight weeks before holding steady last week, EIA said.

The price also edged higher along the East and Gulf Coasts, but fell by less than a cent in New England and the Midwest.

Diesel prices are still 28 cents higher than they were one year ago, but are down 6.3 cents from its high for the year of $1.763 a gallon – just 0.8 cent from the all-time high of $1.771 set in 2003.

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