Average Energy Prices in Boston-Brockton-Nashua –
April 2013

Gasoline prices averaged $3.569 a gallon in the Boston-Brockton-Nashua area in April 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Deborah A. Brown noted that area gasoline prices were down 34.8 cents compared to last April when they averaged $3.917 per gallon. Boston area households paid an average of $1.284 per therm for utility (piped) gas in April 2013, up from $1.242 per therm in April 2012. The average cost of electricity at 15.2 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) in April was similar to the 15.3 cents per kWh spent last year.

At $3.569 a gallon, the price of gasoline in the Boston area was near the national average of $3.647 in April 2013. A year earlier, prices were also nearly identical in the Boston area and the United States. The local price of a gallon of gasoline has been close to the national average in the month of April in each of the past five years. (See chart 1.)

The 15.2 cents per kWh Boston households paid for electricity in April 2013 was 18.8 percent more than the nationwide average of 12.8 cents per kWh. Last April, electricity costs were 20.5 percent higher in Boston compared to the nation. In the last five years, the price of electricity in Boston has always exceeded that for the nation in the month of April. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Boston area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.284 per therm, 25.9 percent more than the national average in April 2013 ($1.020 per therm). A year earlier, area consumers paid 30.6 percent more per therm for natural gas compared to the nation. In each of the last five years, the per therm cost for natural gas for Boston consumers in April exceeded the U.S. average by at least 25 percent. (See chart 3.)

The Boston-Brockton-Nashua, Mass.-N.H.-Maine-Conn. consolidated area covered in this release consists of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk Counties and parts of Bristol, Hampden, and Worcester Counties in Massachusetts; parts of Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, and Strafford Counties in New Hampshire; part of York County in Maine; and part of Windham County in Connecticut.

Average prices for electricity, utility (piped) gas, and gasoline are published monthly for the U.S. city average, the 4 regions, the 3 population size classes, 10 region/size-class cross-classifications, and the 14 largest local index areas. For electricity, average prices per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and per 500 kWh are published. For utility (piped) gas, average prices per therm, per 40 therms, and per 100 therms are published. For gasoline, the average price per gallon is published. Average prices for commonly available grades of gasoline are published as well as the average price across all grades.

Price quotes for 40 therms and 100 therms of utility (piped) gas and for 500 kWh of electricity are collected in sample outlets for use in the average price programs only. Since they are for specified consumption amounts, they are not used in the CPI. All other price quotes used for average price estimation are regular CPI data.

With the exception of the 40 therms, 100 therms, and 500 kWh price quotes, all eligible prices are converted to a price per normalized quantity. These prices are then used to estimate a price for a defined fixed quantity.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics will discontinue publication of three average price series after the release of the June 2013 CPI on July 16, 2013. They are: utility (piped) gas, 40 therms; utility (piped) gas, 100 therms; and electricity, 500 kilowatt hours. The Bureau will, however, continue to publish average prices for utility (piped) gas on a per therm basis, and will continue to publish electricity prices on a per kilowatt hour basis. As such, users will be able to convert these data to any consumption amount.

The average price per kilowatt-hour represents the total bill divided by the kilowatt-hour usage. The total bill is the sum of all items applicable to all consumers appearing on an electricity bill including, but not limited to, variable rates per kWh, fixed costs, taxes, surcharges, and credits. This calculation also applies to the average price per therm for utility (piped) gas.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339.

Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, United States and the Boston-Brockton-Nashua area, April 2012 - April 2013, not seasonally adjusted

Year and Month	Gasoline, all types, per gallon		Electricity per kilowatt hour		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	Boston area	United States	Boston area	United States	Boston area	United States
2012
April	3.917	3.976	0.153	0.127	1.242	0.951
May	3.791	3.839	0.143	0.129	0.827	0.907
June	3.528	3.602	0.149	0.135	0.863	0.927
July	3.524	3.502	0.145	0.133	0.863	0.943
August	3.734	3.759	0.145	0.133	0.863	0.960
September	3.897	3.908	0.145	0.133	0.980	0.953
October	3.892	3.839	0.143	0.128	0.983	0.962
November	3.649	3.542	0.146	0.127	1.281	0.994
December	3.481	3.386	0.146	0.127	1.282	1.044
2013
January	3.489	3.407	0.150	0.129	1.283	0.996
February	3.745	3.748	0.148	0.129	1.283	0.997
March	3.730	3.792	0.147	0.128	1.284	0.994
April	3.569	3.647	0.152	0.128	1.284	1.020

 

Last Modified Date: May 17, 2013