The national average price for a gallon of on-highway diesel continued its recently began steep climb in the week ended Feb. 18, edging close to the $4 mark – a threshold it hasn’t been over since the week ended March 25. The most recent week’s average price, according to the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration, was $3.989 a gallon, the highest since the week ended April 1, when diesel fell below the $4 mark after being above it throughout February and March.
Since the week ended Jan. 27, the price of diesel has now jumped 11.6 cents, following a similar surge in the same time period last year.
Given the surge in February in 2013, however, the national average price is still 16.8 cents lower than the same week last year.
Regionally, prices mostly rose, too, with the Rocky Mountain region leading all increases with a 3.7-cent climb, followed by the Midwest region, which had a 2.4-cent increase.
The Central Atlantic, Gulf Coast and California regions all had price decreases, dropping fractions of a cent each.
The New England region still has the country’s most expensive diesel — $4.373 — followed by the Central Atlantic region’s $4.357 and the East Coast’s $4.129.
The Gulf Coast still has the nation’s cheapest diesel, $3.783, followed by the Rocky Mountain region’s $3.905.
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