Q. Why are diesel fuel prices sometimes higher than gasoline prices?
A. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, during winters when demand
for heating oil is high, diesel prices have risen above gas. Since September 2004, the
price of diesel fuel has been generally higher than the price of regular gasoline due to
high worldwide demand for diesel and other fuel oils, tight global refining capacity, the
transition to low-sulfur diesel fuel in the United States, and the federal tax on diesel
fuel is 6 cents per gallon higher (at 24.4 cents/gallon) than on gasoline.
