National diesel average falls for seventh consecutive week, reports EIA

The national average price per gallon of diesel gasoline fell for the seventh straight week, according to data issued today by the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Falling 2.3 cents, the national average, for the week of January 5, came in at $3.477, following a 4.4-cent decline, to $3.500, for the week of December 29, and a 6.3-cent decline, to $3.544, for the week of December 22. Prior to that, the national average saw a 5.8-cent decline, to $3.607, for the week of December 15, a 9.3-cent decline, to $3.758, for the week of December 8 (the steepest decline since the week of December 9, 2024, when it fell 8.2 cents, to $3.458 per gallon), and a 3.7-cent decline, to $3.831, for the week of December 1, for a cumulative 39.1-cent decline over that seven-week span.

The last seven weeks of declines were preceded by four weeks of gains, including: a 3.1-cent gain, to $3.868, for the week of November 17;  an 8.4-cent increase, to $3.837, for the week of November 10, a 3.5-cent increase, to $3.753, for the week of November 3, and a 9.9-cent increase, to $3.718, for the week of October 27, with the national average rising a cumulative 24.9 cents over that period.

These gains were preceded by a 4.5-cent decline, to $3.620, for the week of October 20, a 4.6-cent decline, to $3.665, for the week of October 13, and a 4.3-cent decrease, to $3.711, for the week of October 6, for a collective 13.4-cent decline over that three-week period. Which was preceded by a $0.005-cent increase, to $3.754, for the week of September 29, and a $0.01-cent increase, to $3.749, for the week of September 22.

Before that, the national average saw a 2.7-cent decline, to $3.739, for the week of September 15, a 3.2-cent increase, to $3.7666, for the week of September 8, and a 2.6-cent increase, to $3.734, for the week of September 1, and hitting its highest weekly average since the week of July 28, at $3.805.

On an annual basis, the national average fell 2.3 cents, and WTI Crude is currently trading at $57.74 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.  

“After a busy weekend of events, including the U.S. arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and OPEC+ agreeing to its existing pause on oil production increases into the first quarter of 2026, oil prices were trading slightly higher to start the new trading week,” noted an analysis issued this week by GasBuddy. “In early Monday trade, WTI crude oil was up 57 cents to $57.89 per barrel, slightly below last Monday’s $58.13 per barrel start. Brent crude oil was also higher in early trade, rising 55 cents to $61.30 per barrel, slightly lower than last Monday’s $62.02 per barrel start. Short-term impacts from the U.S. arrest of Maduro could raise oil prices slightly due to regime uncertainty in Venezuela; however, the long-term impact of potentially seeing increased output from Venezuela could cool global crude oil prices in the years ahead, especially if the U.S. is successful in raising investment in Venezuela’s crumbling infrastructure.”