For the first time in weeks, retail pump prices for both diesel and gasoline dropped across most of the nation, according to data tracked by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). While gasoline prices fell by 2.2 cents nationally, compared to pump prices on Memorial Day, diesel's decreased price was much smaller: 0.3 cents on average across U.S. on-highway retailers.
After three straight weeks of increasing diesel prices, the national average dropped from $3.288 on May 28 to $3.285 on Monday, June 4. Monday's average diesel price is 72.1 cents higher than it was this week in 2017.
Most U.S. regions saw small decreases – less than a cent per gallon – in diesel prices this week, according to the EIA. Only the Gulf Coast and Rocky Mountains regions saw small increases of less than a penny per gallon.
The West Coast, home to the most expensive diesel in the nation, stayed steady at $3.784 per gallon. California, which is disproportionately responsible for the pricey diesel out West broke the $4 mark for the first time this year. It now costs an average of $4.003 per gallon for diesel in the Golden State. When removing California from the West Coast equation, the average price for diesel is $3.508 (down 0.6 cents from last week) per gallon.
At $3.055 per gallon, the Gulf Coast still boasts the least expensive U.S. on-highway retail prices for diesel, according to the EIA.
Here is a look at the week-over-week diesel prices in every region of the U.S., as EIA reported on Monday night (green signifies a week-over-week decrease; red signifies a week-over-week increase):
- East Coast: $3.282 (down 0.5¢)
- New England: $3.302 (down 0.5¢)
- Central Atlantic: $3.442 (down 0.1¢)
- Lower Atlantic: $3.166 (down 0.8¢)
- Midwest: $3.224 (down 0.6¢)
- Gulf Coast: $3.055 (up 0.1¢)
- Rocky Mountain: $3.359 (up 0.6¢)
- West Coast: $3.784 (no change)
- West Coast less California: $3.514 (down 0.6¢)
- California: $4.003 (up 0.6¢)
Retail gasoline prices, which after weeks of increases looked poised to top $3 per gallon nationally, put pumped the brakes across the nation this week. The average U.S. retail gasoline price was down from $2.962 per gallon on May 28 to $2.940 on Monday. That is 52.6 cents more per gallon for gas compared to this week in 2017.
The largest decrease in gasoline by region was in the Midwest, where prices dropped 3.4 cents to $2.847. The Gulf Coast and Rocky Mountains were the only main regions to see gasoline price increases over the past week; they both inched up 0.4 cents per gallon to $2.995 per gallon in the Rocky Mountains and $2.725 in the Gulf Coast, which is home to the least expensive gas in the nation.
The West Coast, which saw a slight dip (0.3 cents) in retail gasoline prices per gallon is still home to the most expensive gas in the nation at $3.460.
Here's a look at gasoline prices per gallon by region and how they changed this week (green signifies a week-over-week decrease; red signifies a week-over-week increase):
- East Coast: $2.879 (down 3.1¢)
- New England: $2.973 (down 0.7¢)
- Central Atlantic: $3.000 (down 2.7¢)
- Lower Atlantic: $2.778 (down 4¢)
- Midwest: $2.847 (down 3.4¢)
- Gulf Coast: $2.725 (up 0.4¢)
- Rocky Mountain: $2.995 (up 0.4¢)
- West Coast: $3.460 (down 0.3¢)
- West Coast less California: $3.250 (up 0.2¢)
- California: $3.632 (down 0.4¢)
