In The News

Diesel falls to $4 per gallon nationwide

Diesel fuel prices once again fell four cents to a national average of $4.006 for the week ending March 25, according to data from the U.S. Energy Dept.

For the fourth consecutive week diesel prices have dropped, after hitting a five-year high of $4.159 per gallon on Feb. 25. The current national average is about 14 cents lower than the average price in March of 2012.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported decreases in all 10 regions of the country, ranging from just over 3 cents in the Central Atlantic region to as much as 6.5 cents per gallon in California.

Following are the weekly average prices for on-highway diesel as reported by the EIA:

U.S. – $4.006, down 4.1 cents East Coast – $4.050, down 3.2 cents New England – $4.171, down 3.3 cents Central Atlantic – $4.109, down 3.1 cents Lower Atlantic – $3.983, down 3.3 cents Midwest – $3.979, down 3.6 cents Gulf Coast – $3.935, down 5.4 cents Rocky Mountain – $3.935, down 3.6 cents West Coast – $4.101, down 6.1 cents California – $4.147, down 6.5 cents West Coast less California – $4.046, down 5.9 cents

ProMiles, which surveys 9,400 fuel stops, reported the daily nationally average is already below $4, at $3.995 cents on Monday.

A trio of New England states and New York state are separated by fractions of a penny in terms of highest prices nationwide: Connecticut $4.249; New York $4.247; Maine $4.221; and Vermont $4.217. Missouri and Oklahoma had the lowest tax-included average at $3.775, narrowly edging Oregon ($3.769).

In other energy news, the price of light sweet crude oil closed at $93.71 per barrel during midday trading Monday according to the New York Mercantile Exchange. Light sweet crude is the type most commonly associated with diesel production.

In Europe, the price of Brent crude was listed at $107.92, according to Bloomberg.

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