Gasoline prices averaged $2.337 a gallon in the Washington-Baltimore area in February 2017, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Sheila Watkins noted that area gasoline prices were up 27.3 percent compared to last February when they averaged $1.836 per gallon. Washington area households paid an average of 13.0 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in February 2017, down 3.7 percent compared to the 13.5 cents per kWh in February 2016. The average price of utility (piped) gas at $1.205 per therm in February 2017 was up 25.5 percent from $0.960 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $2.337 a gallon, Washington area consumers paid close to the national average of $2.360 for a gallon of gasoline in February 2017. Last February, gasoline prices in Washington were also close to the  national average. From 2013 to 2015, prices for a gallon of gasoline in Washington differed from the U.S. average by less than 1.6 percent in February. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

The 13.0 cents per kWh that Washington households paid for electricity in February 2017 was 3.7 percent below the nationwide average of 13.5 cents. Last February, the price per kWh for electricity in Washington was close to the national average. From 2013 to 2015, Washington area electricity prices differed from the U.S. average by less than 5.8 percent in February. (See chart 2.)

The price paid by Washington area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, was $1.205 per therm in February, 20.1 percent above the national average of $1.003 per therm. From 2013 to 2016, the price differentials for utility (piped) gas in the Washington area have ranged from 7.3 to 11.5 percent above the national average in February. (See chart 3.)

The Consumer Price Index for March 2017 is scheduled to be released on Friday, April 14, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).

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) are published. For utility (piped) gas, average prices per therm 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.

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 in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

The Washington-Baltimore, D.C.-Md.-Va.-W.Va., Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area includes the District of Columbia; Baltimore City and the counties of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Calvert, Carroll, Charles, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Queen Anne’s, and Washington in Maryland; the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park and the counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, King George, Loudoun, Prince William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren in Virginia; and the counties of Berkeley and Jefferson in West Virginia.

Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, United States and the Washington-Baltimore area, February 2016-February 2017, not seasonally adjusted

Year and Month	Gasoline per gallon		Electricity per kWh		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	United States	Washington-Baltimore	United States	Washington-Baltimore	United States	Washington-Baltimore
2016
February	$1.833	$1.836	$0.134	$0.135	$0.895	$0.960
March	2.021	1.954	0.134	0.135	0.884	1.006
April	2.196	2.170	0.134	0.135	0.879	0.958
May	2.324	2.322	0.133	0.135	0.877	1.008
June	2.422	2.378	0.138	0.141	0.891	1.059
July	2.287	2.265	0.139	0.140	0.931	1.150
August	2.218	2.159	0.139	0.140	0.943	1.095
September	2.269	2.244	0.139	0.141	0.954	1.063
October	2.304	2.283	0.134	0.137	0.961	1.051
November	2.246	2.249	0.131	0.128	0.970	1.157
December	2.289	2.303	0.133	0.128	0.972	1.109
2017
January	2.409	2.416	0.134	0.128	1.000	1.150
February	2.360	2.337	0.135	0.130	1.003	1.205