All energy prices vary from month to month and year to year. However, when comparing the national average retail price for a gallon of regular gasoline and a kilowatt-hour (kWh) for residential electricity, the pricing for gasoline is far more volatile. In the two year period shown in the figure below, electricity prices varied by approximately 11% from 11.06 cents to 12.33 cents per kWh. For the same period, gasoline prices varied by approximately 40% from $2.80 to $3.91 dollars per gallon.

National Average Retail Price for Regular Gasoline and Residential Electricity,
October 2010 – October 2012
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Supporting Information

National Average Retail Price for a Gallon of Regular Gasoline and a kWh of Residential Electricity
DateGasoline
(Dollars per gallon)
Electricity
(Cents per kWh)
Oct-102.8011.86
Nov-102.8611.62
Dec-102.9911.06
Jan-113.1010.87
Feb-113.2111.06
Mar-113.5611.52
Apr-113.8011.67
May-113.9111.93
Jun-113.6811.97
Jul-113.6512.09
Aug-113.6412.09
Sep-113.6112.17
Oct-113.4512.08
Nov-113.3811.78
Dec-113.2711.40
Jan-123.3811.39
Feb-123.5811.52
Mar-123.8511.72
Apr-123.9011.91
May-123.7311.94
Jun-123.5412.09
Jul-123.4412.00
Aug-123.7212.17
Sep-123.8512.33
Oct-123.7512.03
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Average Retail Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers, U.S. Monthly Retail Gasoline Prices

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