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News Release Information

21-70-PHI
Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Average Energy Prices, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria – December 2020

Gasoline prices averaged $2.245 per gallon in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area in December 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Acting Regional Commissioner Frank Waligorski noted that area gasoline prices were 14.0 percent lower than those from last December when they averaged $2.610 per gallon. Washington area households paid an average of 12.7 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in December 2020, the same as in December 2019. The average price of utility (piped) gas at $1.147 per therm in December 2020 was down 7.5 percent from $1.240 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $2.245 per gallon, Washington area consumers paid close to the national average of $2.235 for a gallon of gasoline in December 2020. Last December, gasoline prices in Washington were 1.6 percent lower than the national average. From 2016 to 2018, prices for a gallon of gasoline in Washington were also close to the U.S. average in December. (See chart 1 and table 1.)

The 12.7 cents per kWh that Washington households paid for electricity in December 2020 was 6.6 percent below the nationwide average of 13.6 cents. Last December, the price per kWh for electricity in Washington was 4.5 percent below the national average. From 2016 to 2018, electricity prices for the Washington area remained at least 6.6 percent below those for the nation in December. (See chart 2.)

The price paid by Washington area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, was $1.147 per therm in December 2020, 3.0 percent above the national average of $1.114 per therm. Last December, the price for utility (piped) gas in Washington was 17.3 percent higher than the national average. From 2016 to 2018, the price for utility (piped) gas in the Washington area ranged from 6.5 percent to 14.1 percent higher than the national average in December. (See chart 3.)

The Consumer Price Index for January 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 10, 2021, 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, 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.

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MA-WV, Core Based Statistical Area includes the District of Columbia; the counties of Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s in Maryland; the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park and the counties of Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren in Virginia; and the county of Jefferson in West Virginia.

 Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, United States and the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area, December 2019-December 2020, not seasonally adjusted
Year and MonthGasoline per gallonElectricity per kWhUtility (piped) gas per therm
United StatesWashingtonUnited StatesWashingtonUnited StatesWashington
2019

December

$2.652$2.610$0.133$0.127$1.057$1.240
2020

January

2.6312.6520.1340.1281.0661.246

February

2.5302.5160.1340.1281.0501.180

March

2.3342.4370.1340.129

1.034

1.156

April

1.9462.1210.1330.1291.0281.215

May

1.9462.0640.1340.1251.0371.255

June

2.1412.0900.1370.1311.0371.309

July

2.2432.1860.1370.1341.0271.333

August

2.2452.2040.1370.1331.0311.130

September

2.2602.2390.1370.1321.0641.181

October

2.2282.2630.1350.1321.0671.217

November

2.1592.1970.1360.1261.1041.221

December

2.2352.2450.1360.1271.1141.147

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2021