The average price of diesel fuel fell for the first time in three weeks, according to weekly figures from the U.S. Department of Energy.


The national average retail price for on-highway diesel was $2.951, according to the DOE's Energy Information Administration, down nearly a penny from last week's $2.96. Prices are 35 cents per gallon higher than they were a year ago.

The highest prices were seen in the West Coast region, at $3.121. The lowest average was reported in the Gulf Coast region at $2.883. The biggest drop from last week came in the Rocky Mountain region, where the average price fell 2.3 cents from $3.037 to $3.014.

Crude oil futures were mostly flat Monday, with light, sweet crude for November delivery ending the day 3 cents higher at $76.52 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Gasoline customers paid an average of $2.694 a gallon for regular grade, down 2.9 cents from last week.

The price differential between diesel and gasoline prices currently stands at 25.7 cents, up from last week's price difference of 23.7 cents, notes the American Trucking Associations' economic experts. At this time last year, diesel was on average 10.2 cents per gallon more expensive than gasoline.