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News Release Information

21-1887-SAN
Tuesday, October 19, 2021

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

Average Energy Prices, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim – September 2021

Gasoline prices averaged $4.440 a gallon in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area in September 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that area gasoline prices were $1.260 higher than last September when they averaged $3.180 per gallon. Los Angeles area households paid an average of 22.2 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in September 2021, higher than the 19.9 cents price per kWh paid in September 2020. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at $1.702 per therm in September was higher than the $1.466 per therm spent last year. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.) 

At $4.440 a gallon, Los Angeles area consumers paid 32.1 percent more than the $3.361 national average in September 2021. A year earlier, consumers in the Los Angeles area paid 40.7 percent more than the national average for a gallon of gasoline. The local price of a gallon of gasoline has ranged from 16.0 to 40.7 percent above the national average in the month of September during the past five years. (See chart 1.)

Chart 1. Average prices for gasoline, the United States and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, 2017–21 (as of September)

The 22.2 cents per kWh Los Angeles households paid for electricity in September 2021 was 54.2 percent more than the nationwide average of 14.4 cents per kWh. Last September, electricity costs were 45.3 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 23.2 percent or more in the month of September. (See chart 2.)

Chart 2. Average prices for electricity, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim and the United States, 2017-2021 (as of September)

Prices paid by Los Angeles area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.702 per therm, 30.7 percent more than the national average in September 2021 ($1.302 per therm). A year earlier, area consumers paid 37.8 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 September has varied between 26.0 percent and 37.8 percent above the U.S. average. (See chart 3.)

Chart 3. Average prices for utility (piped) gas, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim and the United States, 2017-2021 (as of September)

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, September 2020–September 2021, not seasonally adjusted
Year and monthGasoline per gallonElectricity per kWhUtility (piped) gas per therm
United StatesLos Angeles areaUnited StatesLos Angeles areaUnited StatesLos Angeles area

2020

September

$2.260$3.180$0.137$0.199$1.064$1.466

October

2.2283.1380.1350.2081.0671.478

November

2.1593.0950.1360.2081.1041.352

December

2.2353.1200.1360.2081.1141.374

2021

January

2.3913.2780.1360.2071.1191.409

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

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, October 19, 2021