Gasoline prices averaged $3.997 a gallon in the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose area in April 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Richard J. Holden noted that area gasoline prices were down 23.3 cents compared to last April when they averaged $4.230 per gallon. San Francisco area households paid an average of 21.2 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in April 2013, compared to 20.9 cents per kWh in April 2012. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at $1.332 per therm in April was more than the $1.197 per therm spent last year. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $3.997 a gallon, San Francisco area consumers paid 9.6 percent more than the $3.647 national average in April 2013. A year earlier, consumers in the San Francisco area paid 6.4 percent more than the national average for a gallon of gasoline. The local price of a gallon of gasoline has exceeded the national average by more than 6 percent in the month of April in each of the past five years. (See chart 1.)

The 21.2 cents per kWh San Francisco households paid for electricity in April 2013 was 65.6 percent more than the nationwide average of 12.8 cents per kWh. Last April, electricity costs were 64.6 percent higher in San Francisco compared to the nation. In each of the past five years, prices paid by San Francisco area consumers for electricity exceeded the U.S. average by at least 60 percent in the month of April. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by San Francisco area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.332 per therm, or 30.6 percent above the national average in April 2013 ($1.020 per therm). A year earlier, area consumers paid 25.9 percent more price per therm for natural gas compared to the nation. In the past five years, the per therm cost for natural gas in the San Francisco area in April has been above the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

The San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, Calif. metropolitan area consists of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma Counties in California.

Technical Information
Average prices are estimated from Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for selected commodity series to support the research and analytic needs of CPI data users. 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 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 from this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200, Federal Relay Services: 800-877-8339.