(Des Moines) Iowa motorists saw a slight increase at the pump this week, while crude oil prices continued their downward trend, according to the latest Weekly Fuel Report from AAA and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
The average price of regular unleaded gasoline in Iowa rose one cent to $2.81 per gallon. That’s two cents lower than prices from a year ago. Nationally, regular unleaded averaged $3.08 per gallon, up four cents from last week.
Diesel prices climbed six cents this week, averaging $3.59 per gallon across the state. Iowa’s diesel price remains 12 cents below the national average of $3.71. One year ago, diesel in Iowa averaged $3.34 per gallon.
On the crude oil side, global prices continued to fall. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude declined by 72 cents per barrel to $60.16, while Brent crude dropped $1.13 to $64.05. A year ago, WTI sold for $74.93 per barrel and Brent for $76.98.
In heating fuels, natural gas prices rose 42 cents to $4.27 per million British thermal units (MMbtu) at the Henry Hub reporting site. Propane averaged $1.53 per gallon statewide, while home heating oil averaged $3.25 per gallon.
