Fuel prices jumped more than double digits in this week’s report from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and AAA-Iowa. As of Wednesday, Feb. 14, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the state was $2.94, up 11 cents on the week but 31 cents below prices from a year ago. The national average on Wednesday also climbed 11 cents to $3.26 per gallon. Retail diesel prices in Iowa spiked 26 cents at the pump to an average of $3.80, compared to $4.14 this time last year. The national average for diesel remains 28 cents above Iowa’s prices at $4.08 per gallon. Wholesale ethanol was unchanged from $2.16. In heating fuels, propane prices held steady at $1.59 per gallon, home heating oil jumped 25 cents to $3.22 per gallon, and natural gas prices at the Henry Hub reporting site fell 36 cents to $1.61 per MMBtu.
