Over the past week, gasoline prices rose slightly to an average of $3.22 per gallon in the United States, up from $3.19 per gallon for the week ending Nov. 11. But prices still remain well below where they were compared to 2012. For the week ending Nov. 19, 2012, the average weekly fuel price stood at $3.43, 7% higher than the most recent average price, according to information from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Source: Energy Information Administration.
The Rocky Mountain and West Coast regions were the only areas of the U.S. to see their prices fall week over week in the most recent report, and the Midwest saw the biggest rise in prices both on a percentage and raw dollars basis. The Gulf Coast region still has the lowest average price per gallon in the country:
Source: Energy Information Administration.
Diesel prices fell week over week, as prices moved down from $3.83 per gallon to $3.82 per gallon. This is actually the 12th week in a row in which diesel prices have either remained flat or fallen week over week, as shown in the chart below:
Source: Energy Information Administration.
While the slight rise in prices should be monitored, the fact that gasoline prices remain well below where they were last year is good news to consumers, as the U.S. Department of Transportation notes that "the Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year's holiday periods are among the busiest long-distance travel periods of the year."
