Gasoline prices averaged $3.844 a gallon in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton area in March 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Richard J. Holden noted that area gasoline prices were down 20.2 cents compared to last March when they averaged $4.046 per gallon. Seattle area households paid an average of 9.2 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in March 2013, up from 8.9 cents per kWh in March 2012. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at $1.176 per therm in March was less than the $1.253 per therm spent last year. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $3.844 a gallon, Seattle area consumers paid close to the $3.792 national average in March 2013. A year earlier, consumers in the Seattle area also paid close to the national average for a gallon of gasoline. The local price of a gallon of gasoline has been within 10 percent of the national average in the month of March in each of the past five years. (See chart 1.)

The 9.2 cents per kWh Seattle households paid for electricity in March 2013 was 28.1 percent less than the nationwide average of 12.8 cents per kWh. Last March, electricity costs were 29.9 percent lower in Seattle compared to the nation. In the past five years, prices paid by Seattle area consumers for electricity were less than the U.S. average by over 28 percent in the month of March. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Seattle area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.176 per therm, or 18.3 percent above the national average in March 2013 ($0.994 per therm). A year earlier, area consumers paid 28.1 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 March in the Seattle area has varied between 6.2 and 28.1 percent above the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

The Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton, Wash. metropolitan area consists of Kitsap, Thurston, Island, King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties of Washington.

Technical Note
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.

Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, United States and the Seattle area, March 2012–March 2013, not seasonally adjusted

Year and Month	Gasoline per gallon		Electricity per kWh		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	Seattle	United States	Seattle	United States	Seattle	United States
2012
March	4.046	3.918	0.089	0.127	1.253	0.978
April	4.127	3.976	0.092	0.127	1.246	0.951
May	4.207	3.839	0.093	0.129	1.264	0.907
June	4.048	3.602	0.093	0.135	1.264	0.927
July	3.619	3.502	0.093	0.133	1.264	0.943
August	3.863	3.759	0.093	0.133	1.264	0.960
September	4.056	3.908	0.093	0.133	1.264	0.953
October	4.013	3.839	0.092	0.128	1.266	0.962
November	3.520	3.542	0.092	0.127	1.175	0.994
December	3.387	3.386	0.092	0.127	1.175	1.004
2013
January	3.419	3.407	0.093	0.129	1.176	0.996
February	3.671	3.748	0.092	0.129	1.176	0.997
March	3.844	3.792	0.092	0.128	1.176	0.994