According to figures released by the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration March 24, the national average cost of diesel fuel per gallon this week dropped to $1.662 from $1.752 last week.

The highest rate is in New England, where the average price is $1.892; and in the Central Atlantic, where the average price is $1.868.

The remaining regions' prices per gallon are as follows: $1.785 on the West Coast; $1.741 on the East Coast; $1.787 in California; $1.596 in the Midwest; $1.672 in the Lower Atlantic states; $1.584 on the Gulf Coast; and $1.729 in the Rocky Mountain Region.