Fuel prices trended downward in the first week of the new year, according to the latest report from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and AAA-Iowa. As of Wednesday, Jan. 3, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in Iowa was $2.79, down one cent from last week and 22 cents below prices from a year ago. The national average for gasoline on Wednesday was down three cents to $3.09 per gallon. Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell four cents on the week to an average of $3.65, compared to $4.21 per gallon last year. Local prices remain 33 cents below the national average of $3.98. Wholesale ethanol was unchanged from $2.16. In heating fuels, propane prices averaged $1.56 per gallon, home heating oil averaged $3.01 per gallon, and natural gas prices at the Henry Hub reporting site climbed 16 cents to $2.67 per MMBtu.
