Bay Area inflation eases up — but electricity and gas utility costs soar

Bay Area consumer prices show inflation in the region is starting to ease a bit — although costs for electricity and gas services such as those provided by PG&E soared in October.

Consumer prices in the Bay Area rose in October by 2.4% compared with a year ago, a smaller increase than the upswing of 3.8% in April, 3.2% in June and 2.7% in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.

However, costs for utility services zoomed higher at a pace that greatly exceeded the overall increase in the cost of living for the Bay Area.

Nationwide, consumer prices rose 2.6%, which means Bay Area inflation increased by slightly less than the United States overall.

Here are the changes for several key goods and services that people consume in the Bay Area, according to the federal labor agency’s new report for October.

All of the numbers represent an annual change in costs:

— Electricity services such as those provided by PG&E, up 11.2% from October a year ago.

— Natural gas utility services equivalent to those PG&E provides, up 12.7% in a year.

— Food consumed at home, up 0.7%.

— Food consumed away from home, up 5.1%.

— Meat, poultry, fish and eggs, up 1%.

— Fruits and vegetables, up 3.2%.

— Dairy products, down 5.2%.

— Cereals and bakery items, up 0.6%

— Unleaded gasoline, down 13.5%. Gasoline prices have declined for four consecutive months.

While the 2.7% annual increase in Bay Area inflation hints at a moderating pace for the region’s consumer prices, the current levels are nevertheless greatly elevated from where they were in recent years.

Bay Area consumer prices are 11.5% higher than three years ago and 5.2% higher than two years ago.