A new high for the price of diesel fuel was seen Monday in Madison at $4.789 a gallon. That is up 1.7 cents from Sunday. Elsewhere the statewide average for diesel dropped seven-tenths overnight to 4-76 a gallon, according to AAA. Pam Moen, spokeswoman for AAA, blames the high cost of oil and high demand. She notes that crude oil recently spiked above $135 a barrel. Moen says the upward costs per barrel can normally be seen at retailers within a day or two.
She adds that diesel is in high demand by Europeans who use the fuel more frequently than gasoline. Also Moen says American farmers are getting to work after a long winter, thus using more diesel to operate their equipment.