Change rate slows for diesel, gas; diesel average reaches $3.77/gal
While diesel and gas prices across the country are still rising with the temperature in many places in the U.S., they are often doing so at a far slower rate the week of June 24. For the U.S. Energy Information Administration, this means the current national average for U.S. diesel costs is $3.769 per gallon, a rate 3 cents higher than last week and 3 cents lower than this time last year.
Otherwise, diesel prices increased across the country at a rate of less than a cent up to 6 cents. The only locales where diesel costs dropped were in the Central Atlantic sub-region, where prices fell less than a cent to $4.048 per gallon, and in California, where costs also fell less than a cent to $4.913.
On a positive note, several regions saw their diesel costs only rise by less than a cent, too. This included the New England sub-region, the West Coast area overall, and the West Coast region without California. This makes New England’s diesel prices about $4.088 per gallon this week, while the West Coast is at $4.420, and the West Coast without California at roughly $3.984. Beyond these regions, prices rose only 2 cents in the Rocky Mountain region, reaching $3.710 per gallon.
On the higher end of the scale, diesel costs rose the most in the Lower Atlantic sub-region at 6 cents to reach $3.790 per gallon. Meanwhile, the East Coast and the Midwest both saw their diesel prices jump 4 cents to $3.876 and $3.662 per gallon. All told, the Gulf Coast is still the cheapest place for diesel fuel at $3.506, while California is the most expensive at $4.913.
To compare, the AAA motor club‘s current diesel average for the nation is $3.792 per gallon, roughly 3 cents more expensive than the EIA’s reckoning. This price is 2 cents more expensive than last week’s average of $3.771 per gallon, but 10 cents cheaper than last year’s price point of $3.895.
Gasoline price changes remain mixed
As of this writing, the EIA reported the national average price for gasoline to be $3.438, up less than a cent from a week ago and down 13 cents from this time last year. As with diesel prices, gas costs did not vary widely from last week to this one, with price rates of change from less than a cent to 3 cents.
See also: Diesel price freefall ends as national average jumps 7 cents
Gas prices fell by only 1 cent along the West Coast without California to $3.944. Meanwhile, costs dropped 2 cents in the New England sub-region, the Central Atlantic sub-region, and in the West Coast without California to reach $3.395, $3.514, and $4.268 per gallon, respectively. Finally, prices fell 3 cents in the Rocky Mountain region to $3.296 and 3 cents to $4.564 per gallon in California.
As for where prices rose, both the East Coast and Midwest saw their gas prices go up less than a cent, with the East Coast’s fuel average at $3.363 per gallon, and the Midwest at $3.323. The Gulf Coast’s prices also rose, but only by 2 cents to $3.016. Despite this, the Gulf Coast is still the cheapest place for gas, while California is the most expensive at $4.564.
For the motor club, the national average for gasoline is currently $3.448 per gallon, with less than a cent of change between this week and the last. The current prices are also significantly cheaper than last year’s average of $3.578.
