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News Release Information

22-266-SAN
Friday, February 11, 2022

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

Average Energy Prices, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim – January 2022

Gasoline prices averaged $4.708 a gallon in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area in January 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that area gasoline prices were $1.430 higher than last January when they averaged $3.278 per gallon. Los Angeles area households paid an average of 24.8 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in January 2022, higher than the 20.7 cents price per kWh paid in January 2021. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at $1.878 per therm in January was higher than the $1.409 per therm spent last year. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.) 

At $4.708 a gallon, Los Angeles area consumers paid 34.5 percent more than the $3.500 national average in January 2022. A year earlier, consumers in the Los Angeles area paid 37.1 percent more than the national average for a gallon of gasoline. The local price of a gallon of gasoline has ranged from 25.6 to 39.3 percent above the national average in the month of January during the past five years. (See chart 1.)

Chart 1. Average prices for gasoline, the United States and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, 2018–22 (as of January)

The 24.8 cents per kWh Los Angeles households paid for electricity in January 2022 was 68.7 percent more than the nationwide average of 14.7 cents per kWh. Last January, electricity costs were 52.2 percent higher in Los Angeles compared to the nation. In the past five years, prices paid by Los Angeles area consumers for electricity exceeded the U.S. average by 34.1 percent or more in the month of January. (See chart 2.)

Chart 2. Average prices for electricity, the United States and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, 2018–22 (as of January)

Prices paid by Los Angeles area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.878 per therm, 33.3 percent more than the national average in January 2022 ($1.409 per therm). A year earlier, area consumers paid 25.9 percent more per therm for natural gas compared to the nation. In the Los Angeles area over the past five years, the per therm cost for natural gas in January has varied between 5.3 percent and 33.3 percent above the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

Chart 3. Average prices for utility (piped) gas, the United States and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, 2018–22 (as of January)

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metropolitan area consists of Los Angeles and Orange Counties in California.


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, the United States and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, January 2021–January 2022, not seasonally adjusted
Year and monthGasoline per gallonElectricity per kWhUtility (piped) gas per therm
United StatesLos Angeles areaUnited StatesLos Angeles areaUnited StatesLos Angeles area

2021

January

$2.391$3.278$0.136$0.207$1.119$1.409

February

2.5593.5060.1370.2191.1241.379

March

2.8563.7840.1380.2191.1441.380

April

2.9073.9000.1390.2201.1661.331

May

3.0414.0550.1400.2201.2011.609

June

3.2454.2950.1420.2181.2191.647

July

3.3264.3840.1430.2211.2411.680

August

3.3514.4290.1440.2211.2671.705

September

3.3614.4400.1440.2221.3021.702

October

3.4774.5240.1420.2391.3831.796

November

3.5764.6940.1420.2401.4011.710

December

3.5054.7200.1420.2401.4021.625

2022

January

3.5004.7080.1470.2481.4091.878

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, February 11, 2022