Diesel prices jump back up

The average price at the pump for a gallon of diesel fuel rose 1.6 cents this week to $1.445, erasing a 1.5-cent drop from a week earlier, according to the Dept. of Energy. According to the department's Energy Information Administration, the average price rose in eight of the nine regions. West Coast drivers saw the price slip 0.7 cents to $1.551. Drivers in New England saw a slight increase to $1.558, which is just a half a penny increase over the past two weeks. The price in the Midwest region jumped 2.4 cents. Fuel prices tend to drop at the end of the summer driving season because consumer demand falls off. However, analysts say they tend to increase in the fall as demand for home heating fuels rise.