The national average price per gallon of diesel gasoline increased for the third consecutive week, according to data issued earlier today by the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA).
For the week of July 1, the national average increased 4.4 cents, to $3.813, following a 3.4-cent increase, to $3.769, for the week of June 24, and a 7.7-cent increase, to $3.735, for the week of June 17, representing a collective 15.5-cent gain over the past three weeks.
That was preceded by a 6.8-cent decline, to $3.658, for the week of June 10, and a 3.2-cent decline, to $3.726, for the week of June 3.
The increase for the week of June 17 marked the first weekly increase, going back to the week of April 8, when it rose 6.5 cents, coming in at $4.061. Over the nine-week stretch of declines, from the week of April 15 through the week of April 10, the national average saw a cumulative 40.3-cent decline.
What’s more, last week’s 7.7-cent gain, for the week of June 24, represented the largest weekly gain since the week of February 12, when it rose 21.0 cents, to $4.109.
Even with the increases over the last three weeks, the national diesel average has been below the $4 per gallon mark in 12 of the last 13 weeks. And prior to the week of April 1, the average price per gallon had not been less than $4 per gallon for seven weeks, from an average of $4.109, for the week of February 12, to an average of $4.034, for the week of March 25, according to EIA data.
Compared to the same week a year ago, the national average increased 4.6 cents, following a 3.2-cent decline, for the week of June 24.