Average gas prices--May 18, 2009
In every region, fuel prices are up compared against the week before.Gasoline continues to be higher diesel fuel per gallon. The national gasoline average is now about a $1.48 below the price this time last year. Diesel fuel is now $2.27 below this time last year.
National retail fuel price averages
| Price | Change from last week |
| Regular gasoline/gallon | $2.31 | ↑.07 |
| Diesel fuel/gallon | $2.23 | ↑.02 |
Regional regular gasoline prices
| Price | Change from last week |
| East Coast | $2.30 | ↑ .08 |
| -New England | $2.31 | ↑ .06 |
| -Central Atlantic | $2.32 | ↑ .08 |
| -Lower Atlantic | $2.27 | ↑ .09 |
| Midwest | $2.30 | ↑ .04 |
| Gulf Coast | $2.21 | ↑ .08 |
| Rocky Mountain | $2.24 | ↑ .06 |
| West Coast | $2.46 | ↑ .09 |
| -California | $2.52 | ↑ .10 |
Source: Energy Information Administration, 5/18/09. Figures rounded to the nearest cent.
For more information on saving fuel see our reports on how to get the best gas mileage and where to find the cheapest gas.
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Posted by: Cale | May 19, 2009 10:29:48 AM
Thanks again for blogging the gas price news. It has occurred to me that with so few diesel cars on the road, is it necessary to blog diesel prices? Yesterday, gas here in the isolated Pacific Northwest was $2.39 regular at Costco. I noticed, with some humor, that premium was selling for $2.64. So, the $.20 gap between regular and premium grade gas that had held for the last 6-8 months has been expanded to $.25.
To me, at least, it would be more helpful to expose (through the blog) the price gap between regular and premium grade fuels. That way consumers would get information that is truly relevant to the choices they make when buying a car (some cars require premium, some recommend it) and when they buy gas everyday (does the "extra power of premium" myth still exist?).
Anyway, I think you'd get more mileage out of the gas price blog if you focused on this issue and not diesel.
As always, thanks for your efforts.