Whacked: Feds Say Mass. Gas/Electric Costs Have Soared

Boston area drivers paid a little less than the national average for gasoline in April, but that's about it as the costs of other sources of energy -- electricity and natural gas -- remained well above the United States average, new federal data show.

Energy prices broadly in the Northeast were up 1.3 percent for the month of April and 1.2 percent over the year in April 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Prices overall were up 0.4 percent in April, BLS said.

Gas prices averaged just more than $3.61 a gallon in the Boston area in April, up from last April’s average price of roughly $3.53 per gallon but 7.5 percent below the national average of about $3.91 a gallon. The average April per-gallon gas price has fluctuated wildly over the last five years, ranging from $2.15 to $4.23, BLS said.

Boston area households paid an average of 29.7 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in April, down from 34.1 cents per kWh in April 2023. Despite being lower than a year ago, Boston area residents still paid an average price that was 71.7 percent higher than the nationwide average cost of 17.3 cents per kWh, BLS said. Boston area electricity prices have exceeded the national average by at least 71.2 percent each April over the last five years, the federal agency said.

The average cost of utility natural gas was $2.153 per therm in April, up from $1.996 per therm one year earlier. BLS said the local cost of natural gas was 56.6 percent higher than the national average of $1.375 per therm last month. Over the last five years, natural gas prices in April have ranged from $1.471 to $2.153 per therm.