Diesel up while gasoline down

The average U.S. retail price for diesel increased this week while gasoline registered a decline, with regional pricing varied for both fuels across much of the country, according to data tracked by the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Diesel went up 1.3 cents this week to a U.S. retail average of $2.128 per gallon, though that is 62.6 cents cheaper compared to the same week in 2015, EIA said.

Regionally, diesel prices decreased only in New England, dropping 6/10ths of a penny to $2.237 per gallon. Meanwhile, diesel remained cheapest in the Gulf Coast at $1.992 per gallon, despite 9/10ths of a penny increase this week, the agency noted.

By contrast, the national average retail price for gasoline fell 1.4 cents to $2.063 per gallon, which is again cheaper compared to the same week in 2015, by some 33.9 cents per gallon, according to EIA’s numbers.

Gasoline prices increased in three regions this week:

• Rocky Mountains: up 3.2 cents to $2.001 per gallon
• Central Atlantic: up 1.8 cents to $2.089
• New England: up 1.6 cents to $2.072

However, those prices hikes were balanced out by decreases in other areas of the country, EIA noted:

• Gulf Coast: down 3.4 cents to $1.835 per gallon
• Midwest: down 2.3 cents to $1.965
• Lower Atlantic: down 1.7 cents to $1.980
• West Coast: down 1.7 cents to $2.563