The New England Information Office of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has released price data for select energy commodities and services from the Boston Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December 2014. The CPI program produces monthly data on changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of goods and services, according to a press release. Some highlights of the report provide an interesting comparison with Island costs.
In Boston, the price of gasoline averaged $2.785 per gallon in December 2014, which was 68 cents below the $3.469 per gallon area residents paid last December. Gasoline prices nationally were $2.618. On the Vineyard in December, the price was about $3.60.
On the Vineyard this week, gas was about $3.29.
Boston households paid electricity prices that were 50.4 percent higher than the national average in December 2014. Locally, the average price of a kilowatt-hour of electricity was 20.3 cents, compared with 13.5 cents nationwide. The price of electricity in Boston has been 15 percent or more above the national average in December for each of the past five years, according to the press release.
On the Vineyard, the rate for Cape Light Compact customers is 15.371 per kWh.