The Consumer Price Index (CPI) released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics Thursday morning registered a 7.5% annual gain in January.
Fuel oil prices jumped 9.5% on a monthly basis, tracking the rise in crude oil prices.
Electricity prices also jumped by a pronounced 4.2% on a month-over-month basis.
Gains in prices for food also contributed to the headline index, rising by about 1% on a monthly basis.
Even excluding more volatile food and energy prices, the so-called core CPI rose by 6.0% in January over last year.
