As Americans head to the polls, the U.S. Energy Information Administration has found that both gas and diesel prices have continued their slow and steady drop. In particular, the U.S. average for on-highway diesel fuel prices has fallen to $3.536 per gallon, a 3-cent dip from last week and 83 cents lower from this time last year.
Elsewhere, prices shifted less than a cent to 7 cents across the country, with diesel costs dropping in every region across the U.S. Prices dropped the least in California (less than a cent), down to $4.681, and only 1 cent along the East Coast and West Coast overall to $3.590 and $4.190 per gallon, respectively. The West Coast without California, meanwhile, fared a bit better with a diesel price decrease of 2 cents to $3.763.
In the regions with slightly higher price cuts, diesel prices on the Gulf Coast fell by 4 cents to $3.184, the Midwest’s fell 5 cents to $3.517, and the Rocky Mountain region’s fell 7 cents to $3.583 per gallon. With all that said, the Gulf Coast remains cheapest region for diesel fuel, while California remains the most expensive.
In comparison, the AAA motor club also saw its prices dip as well, but its diesel cost average remains 2 cents higher than the EIA’s number, which is $3.553. But the current price is still about 2 cents cheaper than last week’s of $3.569 and 86 cents cheaper than this time last year at $4.415 per gallon.
See also: Diesel costs rise in most regions, avg. $3.573/gal, gas falls, $3.097/gal
Gasoline average hovers over $3/gal
Like diesel prices, gasoline prices also fell across the country, with the exception of the Midwest. This did not deter the U.S. gas price average from dropping 2 cents to $3.069 per gallon, 32 cents cheaper than this time last year. Otherwise, gas cost changes between this week and the last varied from 1 to 9 cents.
On the positive side, the Midwest only saw a price increase of 1 cent to $2.937 per gallon.
For regions that saw their gas prices drop, the Gulf Coast fell 2 cents to $2.619, as did the West Coast’s to $3.945. California’s gas prices dropped 3 cents to $4.292, while the East Coast saw a much larger drop of 5 cents to $2.992 per gallon. Finally, the Rocky Mountain region saw its gas prices dip by 9 cents overall to $3.103. This leaves the Gulf Coast as the cheapest place for gas and California as the most expensive, even as gas prices continue to cool after the summer busy season.
The motor club logged the current gas price average at $3.101 per gallon, 3 cents less than last week’s average of $3.130 and 32 cents less than last year’s average of $3.426.
“After the brief interruption caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, gas prices have resumed their gradual season decline,” Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson, said. “We are only about seven cents away from the national average’s 2024 low, and it will likely keep rolling and fall below $3 soon.”
