Fuel prices in the state continued to trend downward slightly in this week’s report from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and AAA-Iowa. As of Wednesday, Jan. 17, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was down four cents to $2.73. Prices are down 46 cents from a year ago and remain 36 cents below the national average of $3.09 per gallon, a one-cent increase on the week. Average Iowa diesel prices dropped by one cent to $3.59 per gallon, compared to the $4.17 per gallon prices from a year ago. Nationally, prices averaged 35 cents higher than Iowa at $3.94. Wholesale ethanol held steady at $2.16. In heating fuels, propane prices dropped by one cent to $1.56 per gallon, home heating oil slipped 19 cents to $2.83 per gallon, and natural gas prices at the Henry Hub reporting site fell 19 cents to $2.83 per MMBtu.
