Gasoline prices averaged $2.767 a gallon in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell area in May 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that area gasoline prices were 57 cents higher than last May when they averaged $2.197 per gallon. Atlanta area households paid an average of 11.3 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in May 2018, similar to the 11.4 cents per kWh paid in May 2017. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at $1.648 per therm in the Atlanta area was higher than the $1.568 per therm spent last year. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, month-to-month changes may reflect the impact of seasonal influences.)

Atlanta area consumers paid $2.767 a gallon for gasoline in May 2018, 6.6 percent less than the $2.963 paid nationally. A year earlier, consumers in the Atlanta area paid 10.3 percent less than the national average for a gallon of gasoline. In three of the past five years, the local price for a gallon of gasoline in Atlanta has been at least six percent lower than the national average in the month of May. (See chart 1.)

The 11.3 cents per kWh Atlanta households paid for electricity in May was 16.9 percent lower than the nationwide average of 13.6 cents per kWh. Last May, electricity costs in Atlanta were 16.8 percent less than those paid for the nation. In each of the past five years, prices paid by Atlanta area consumers for electricity were lower than the U.S. average by at least 12 percent. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Atlanta area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.648 per therm, or 57.0 percent higher than the national average in May 2018 ($1.050 per therm). A year earlier, area consumers paid 51.4 percent more per therm for natural gas compared to the nation. In 4 of the past 5 years, the per therm cost for natural gas in May for Atlanta households was at least 51 percent more than the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga., Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton Counties in Georgia.

The Consumer Price Index for June 2018 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, July 12, 2018.

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, 9 divisions, 2 population size classes, 8 region/size-class cross-classifications, and the 23 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.

Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell and the United States, May 2017-2018, not seasonally adjusted

Year and month	Gasoline per gallon		Electricity per kWh		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	Atlanta area	United States	Atlanta area	United States	Atlanta area	United States
2017
May	2.197	2.448	0.114	0.137	1.568	1.036
June	2.196	2.400	0.143	0.142	1.577	1.040
July	2.231	2.344	0.143	0.143	1.581	1.031
August	2.276	2.436	0.143	0.142	1.576	1.027
September	2.767	2.688	0.143	0.142	1.581	1.018
October	2.472	2.545	0.113	0.137	1.589	1.020
November	2.388	2.608	0.109	0.136	1.585	1.028
December	2.296	2.521	0.106	0.136	1.610	1.042
2018
January	2.430	2.596	0.109	0.135	1.607	1.048
February	2.434	2.632	0.109	0.135	1.695	1.077
March	2.472	2.631	0.109	0.135	1.648	1.054
April	2.623	2.795	0.108	0.134	1.641	1.044
May	2.767	2.963	0.113	0.136	1.648	1.050