LONDON, ON AND WASHINGTON, D.C. – Prices for diesel and gasoline are heading in opposite directions in Canada and the U.S. this week, but they still remain far below their levels from a year earlier.

New figures released by the petroleum information services provider The Kent Group show the national average cost of diesel in Canada moved up just $0.002 from last week to $1.041 per liter. This follows a drop of $0.016 the week before and is the first increase in nearly a month.

When the current price is compared to the same time in 2014 it is down $0.223 per liter.

Prices increased in all four of Canada’s main regions and currently range from a low of $0.991 per liter in Ontario to high of $1.081 in Quebec, though the Atlantic Provinces and Western Provinces were close behind with both at nearly $1.07.

Across the border, the national average price of diesel fell for the third straight week, down US$0.013 from last week, to US$2.485 per gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Department’s Energy Information Administration.

This is the lowest level since late September and is US$1.138 less than it was this time last year.

Also, in the U.S. the national average price of regular grade gasoline slipped US$0.004 over the past week to US$2.224 per gallon, making it US$0.769 less than this time a year ago.

Meantime, back in Canada, the average cost of regular grade gasoline increased by one of its largest amounts of this year, $0.031, to $1.072 per liter, as prices moved higher in Canada’s four main regions.

This follows a small decline the week before and is the highest in almost two months.

Despite the weekly increase, gasoline is $0.106 less than compared to this week in 2014.