GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Remember the days when the driver of a diesel-operated vehicle would save more money than drivers who filled up with gasoline?
It’s been nearly 20 years since diesel cost less for drivers and consumers.
Now, on Monday, diesel costs consumers an average of 40 cents more per gallon than gasoline in the U.S.
“Cleaning up that diesel fuel is tremendously expensive,” GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan said.
He blames the transition to a cleaner, less polluting fuel with less sulfur as the main reason for these higher prices. In the years leading up to the switch, diesel was the cheaper option by an average of 5 to 10 cents, sometimes even more. Since that change, the price difference has ranged from 10 cents in 2017 to nearly a dollar in 2022. Unlike gasoline, diesel is cheaper in the summer.
“As we get closer to August and September, you're going to see diesel prices start going back up because heating oil is a primary component of diesel prices,” De Haan said. “That's when heating oil demand goes up, and that's when gasoline will, conversely, go down in the fall.”
If you drive a diesel vehicle, something else that might affect prices at the pump is construction season. Diesel is used more for commercial construction. But with the economy slowing down, construction projects could hit a snag, affecting supply and demand and eventually bringing the price of diesel even higher.
LOCAL GAS PRICES:
Gas prices are up nearly 20 cents this morning around West Michigan from what we saw last week, an increase I predicted as we headed into the weekend. Our area's average is $3.25 a gallon, nearly 10 cents higher than the national average.
Here's a look at prices around West Michigan:
- Muskegon and Ottawa counties are both paying $3.26 per gallon on average.
- Kent County is sitting at $3.28 per gallon on average.
- Kalamazoo has the highest average price at $3.31 per gallon.
As far as when to fill up for the best prices, I'd wait until at least Friday, when prices typically bottom out. We are just starting to see them dip. I expect them to continue falling until Friday and into the weekend.
