Diesel prices are continuing their gradual rise across the country.

ProMiles reported a national average of $2.926 for diesel Thursday, Sept. 29, while AAA reported a national average of $2.887, up less than a penny from the previous day.

Alabama, California, Idaho, Florida, Nevada, New York, Utah and Washington reported prices above $3 per gallon, according to ProMiles.

And the effects of these rising prices are being felt everywhere. The American Bankers Association reported that the percentage of late credit card payments surged to a record high in the second quarter as high fuel prices put a strain on budgets forcing people to miss credit card payments.

Crude oil prices rose past $66 per barrel in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange Sept. 29.

The Associated Press reported that a strike at a refinery in France owned by Europe’s largest gasoline exporter to the U.S. has added stress to an oil market already jittery over damage outlooks from Hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

The U.S. Minerals Management Service said Wednesday, Sept. 28, that all oil production in the Gulf of Mexico – 1.5 million barrels of crude oil a day – was shut down, and about a dozen refineries in Texas and Louisiana still haven’t restarted following damage from Rita.