Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

23-1031-BOS
Tuesday, May 16, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (617) 565-4141

Average Energy Prices, Boston-Cambridge-Newton — April 2023

Gasoline prices averaged $3.529 a gallon in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton area in April 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner William J. Sibley noted that area gasoline prices were down 70 cents compared to last April, when they averaged $4.229 per gallon. Boston area households paid an average of 34.1 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in April 2023, up from 26.8 cents per kWh in April 2022. The average cost of utility (piped) gas, at $1.996 per therm in April, compared to $2.003 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $3.529 a gallon, costs for gasoline in the Boston area were 31 cents, or 8.1 percent, lower than the national average of $3.839 a gallon in April 2023. Last April, gasoline costs in Boston were similar to the nation. Over the past five Aprils, gasoline prices in the Boston area have ranged from $2.152 to $4.229. (See chart 1.)

The 34.1 cents per kWh that Boston households paid for electricity in April 2023 was 106.7 percent higher than the nationwide average cost of 16.5 cents per kWh. Last April, electricity costs in Boston were 77.5 percent higher than the nation. Boston area electricity costs have exceeded the national average by at least 71.2 percent over the past five Aprils. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Boston area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.996 per therm in April 2023, 41.3 percent above the national average of $1.413 per therm. Over the past five Aprils, the per therm cost for natural gas in the Boston area has varied between 35.3 percent and 45.7 percent above the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

The Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Core Based Statistical Area covered in this release is comprised of Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk Counties in Massachusetts and Rockingham and Strafford Counties in New Hampshire.

The Consumer Price Index for May 2023 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at 8:30 AM (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; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, the United States and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, April 2022–April 2023, not seasonally adjusted
Year and monthGasoline per gallonElectricity per kWhUtility (piped) gas per therm
United StatesBoston areaUnited StatesBoston areaUnited StatesBoston area

2022

April

$4.369$4.229$0.151$0.268$1.445$2.003

May

4.6954.6480.1540.2571.5651.776

June

5.1495.0840.1600.2601.6991.916

July

4.7684.7890.1640.2701.6291.916

August

4.2054.3870.1670.2881.6941.692

September

3.9903.8870.1670.2891.7392.006

October

4.1303.7280.1660.2911.6682.088

November

3.9583.9300.1630.3581.6162.378

December

3.4593.6380.1650.3581.6672.317

2023

January

3.5553.5100.1680.3911.8192.312

February

3.6223.5060.1680.3861.6092.203

March

3.6603.4140.1660.3891.4931.996

April

3.8393.5290.1650.3411.4131.996

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, May 16, 2023