Diesel tops $3 for first time in 3 years

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Diesel fuel prices this month, for the first time in three years, topped a $3 per gallon national average, according to the latest report from the Department of Energy.

Prices jumped above the $3 a gallon mark during the week ending Jan. 15, when prices hit $3.028 per gallon. In the most recent update for the week ending Jan. 22, prices held steady with the nation’s average price for a gallon of on-highway diesel falling three-tenths of a cent to $3.025. The last time prices topped the $3 per gallon mark was the week ending Jan. 12, 2015.

During the most recent week, prices rose on the East Coast and in California and fell in other regions across the U.S. The most significant increase was a 2.2-cent jump in New England, while the most significant decrease was seen in the Rocky Mountain region, where prices fell 2.9 cents.

The nation’s most expensive diesel is in California at $3.643 per gallon, followed by the Central Atlantic region at $3.276 per gallon.

The cheapest fuel can be found in the Gulf Coast region at $2.815 per gallon, followed by the Lower Atlantic region at $2.929 per gallon.

Prices in other regions, according to the DOE, are:

  • New England – $3.136
  • Midwest – $2.971
  • Rocky Mountain – $2.955
  • West Coast less California – $3.083

ProMiles’ numbers during the week saw diesel prices hold, falling by just one-tenth of a cent to $2.975 per gallon nationwide.

According to ProMiles’ Fuel Surcharge Index, the most expensive diesel can be found in California at $3.611 per gallon, and the cheapest can be found in the Gulf Coast region at $2.819 per gallon.