U.S. Retail Gas Prices Down 2 Cents
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Retail U.S. gasoline prices fell about 2 cents over the last week to $1.905 per gallon on Monday after two consecutive weekly increases, the government said.
The average price for regular unleaded gasoline is up 39 cents from a year ago, according to the Energy Information Administration's (search) weekly survey of service stations.
Gasoline prices remain near $2 per gallon because the $4 jump crude oil prices over the last few weeks is being passed on to consumers.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Crude oil accounts for almost half the cost of producing gasoline.
Oil for September delivery ended down 27 cents to $41.44 a barrel on Monday at the New York Mercantile Exchange (search).
The EIA's weekly report also showed the retail price for cleaner-burning reformulated gasoline, sold in polluted metropolitan areas, declined 1.8 cents to $1.996 a gallon.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The West Coast had the most expensive regular unleaded gasoline, with the price down 2.2 cents to $2.091 a gallon. San Francisco topped the agency's city survey of gasoline costs, but the price fell 2.5 cents to $2.172 a gallon.
The U.S. Gulf Coast (search) had the cheapest fuel by region, with the price down 1.2 cents at $1.806 per gallon. Houston had the lowest pump price at $1.764 a gallon, down 0.2 cent.
The weekly report also showed gasoline prices were down 1.1 cents to $2.018 in New York City, down 0.9 cent to $1.974 in Miami, down 4.3 cents to $1.937 in Chicago, down 1.7 cents to $1.953 in Seattle, and down 6 cents to $1.834 in Cleveland.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Separately, the EIA survey said the average pump price for diesel fuel rose a penny to $1.754 a gallon.
Truckers on the West Coast paid the most for diesel fuel at $2.031 a gallon, down 0.2 cent from the prior week. Gulf Coast states had the cheapest diesel at $1.691, up 1.7 cents.