Diesel vs gas prices
The weekly gap between U.S. diesel and regular gasoline, from the same EIA surveys
The Weekly Diesel Bulletin·No. 7·Week of ·Next release September 9, 2026
- Diesel costs $1.528 per gallon more than regular gasoline this week: $5.599 vs $4.071 (week of ).
- The widest weekly gap on record is $1.607 (week of ); the narrowest is −$0.415 - diesel below gasoline - ().
- Diesel has been above regular gasoline every week since .
- Comparison starts , the first week both EIA weekly surveys overlap.
Both series, 1994–2026
Average gap by year
Positive = diesel above regular gasoline.
| Year | Average gap | Narrowest week | Widest week |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (partial) | $1.103 | $0.680 | $1.567 |
| 2025 | $0.563 | $0.324 | $0.806 |
| 2024 | $0.456 | $0.181 | $0.917 |
| 2023 | $0.695 | $0.199 | $1.360 |
| 2022 | $1.038 | $0.332 | $1.607 |
| 2021 | $0.279 | $0.179 | $0.391 |
| 2020 | $0.383 | $0.215 | $0.668 |
| 2019 | $0.452 | $0.272 | $0.776 |
| 2018 | $0.459 | $0.311 | $0.782 |
| 2017 | $0.235 | $0.079 | $0.451 |
| 2016 | $0.161 | $0.026 | $0.272 |
| 2015 | $0.277 | −$0.101 | $0.923 |
| 2014 | $0.467 | $0.196 | $0.914 |
| 2013 | $0.417 | $0.194 | $0.638 |
| 2012 | $0.349 | $0.196 | $0.691 |
| 2011 | $0.319 | $0.101 | $0.657 |
| 2010 | $0.210 | $0.117 | $0.306 |
| 2009 | $0.115 | −$0.172 | $0.607 |
| 2008 | $0.557 | $0.188 | $0.816 |
| 2007 | $0.089 | −$0.415 | $0.355 |
| 2006 | $0.133 | −$0.063 | $0.328 |
| 2005 | $0.131 | −$0.171 | $0.554 |
| 2004 | −$0.042 | −$0.305 | $0.196 |
| 2003 | −$0.052 | −$0.245 | $0.067 |
| 2002 | −$0.026 | −$0.104 | $0.056 |
| 2001 | −$0.020 | −$0.233 | $0.116 |
| 2000 | $0.007 | −$0.258 | $0.145 |
| 1999 | −$0.015 | −$0.065 | $0.046 |
| 1998 | $0.014 | −$0.032 | $0.049 |
| 1997 | −$0.001 | −$0.080 | $0.066 |
| 1996 | $0.036 | −$0.066 | $0.125 |
| 1995 | −$0.002 | −$0.075 | $0.063 |
| 1994 (partial) | $0.021 | −$0.041 | $0.099 |
Download the joined series: diesel vs gasoline CSV. Diesel-only history: by year · records.
FAQ
Why is diesel more expensive than gasoline?
Three structural reasons: federal tax is higher on diesel (24.4¢/gal including the LUST fee vs 18.4¢ for gasoline), worldwide demand for distillate fuels - trucking, heating oil, jet fuel share the same barrel fraction - runs strong year-round, and since 2006 U.S. diesel must be ultra-low-sulfur, which added refining cost. EIA's diesel explainer covers all three.
Was diesel always more expensive than gas?
No. Through the 1990s and early 2000s the two traded places seasonally - gasoline spiked in summer driving season, diesel in winter with heating-oil demand. The gap turned persistently positive in the mid-2000s as the ultra-low-sulfur transition and global distillate demand took hold; the weekly series on this page shows exactly when.
Does the diesel-gas gap affect fuel surcharges?
Only through the diesel side: fuel-surcharge schedules reference the DOE diesel index alone. The gap matters for cost intuition - a period when diesel outruns gasoline is one where trucking's fuel costs are rising faster than drivers' - but no standard surcharge formula uses gasoline.