| For release: Thursday, January 7, 2010 | PLS - 4619 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical Information: | (215) 597-3282 • BLSInfoPhiladelphia@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/ro3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Media Contact: | (215) 861-5600 • BLSMediaPhiladelphia@bls.gov | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Average Energy Prices in the Philadelphia Area – November 2009 (PDF)Philadelphia area consumers paid 28.2 percent more than the U.S. city average for electricity and 19.4 percent more for utility (piped) gas in November 2009 as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In contrast, the price for gasoline locally was 1.6 percent lower than it was nationally. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that while the percent differential between local and national electricity prices was little changed since November 2008, the percent differential in utility (piped) gas prices narrowed over the year. Last November, the price for gasoline in the Philadelphia area was 7.4 percent higher than the U.S. average. (See table A.) (All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)
A kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity cost Philadelphia consumers $0.159 in November 2009, 1.3 percent more than one year earlier. (See table 1.) Nationwide, electricity prices averaged $0.124 in November 2009, up 0.8 percent from last year. Electricity prices have generally trended upwards over the last five years, increasing more than 30.0 percent both locally and nationally. (See chart 1.) A therm—a measure of constant heating value—of utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, in the Philadelphia area averaged $1.325 in November 2009, a decrease of 22.0 percent from the previous November. Nationwide, a therm averaged $1.110 in November 2009, down 19.1 percent over the year. Since November 2004, local and national prices followed similar trends, with local prices remaining generally higher than those for the nation. (See chart 2.) In November 2009, gasoline in Philadelphia averaged $2.665 per gallon. Local gas prices were $0.044 (or 1.6 percent) lower than the national average of $2.709. The over-the-year increase of 12.4 percent in the Philadelphia area was smaller than the 22.7-percent rise nationwide. Though gasoline prices are historically subject to rapid monthly fluctuations, local gasoline prices have been close to the national average over the past five years. (See chart 3.) Chart 1. Average prices for electricity, United States and Philadelphia area, November 2004-2009
Chart 2. Average prices for utility (piped) gas, United States and Philadelphia area, November 2004-2009
Chart 3. Average prices for gasoline, United States and Philadelphia area, November 2004-2009
The Philadelphia-Wilmington-Atlantic City, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md. Consolidated Metropolitan Area includes Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem Counties in New Jersey; New Castle County in Delaware; and Cecil County in Maryland. Additional InformationInformation in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone number: 1-800-877-8339. For personal assistance or further information on the CPI data, as well as other Bureau data, contact the Mid-Atlantic Information Office at 215-597-3282 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. Information on the Consumer Price Index and other surveys and programs is available on our Web site at www.bls.gov/ro3/. Technical Note
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| Year and Month | Electricity per kWh | Utility (piped) gas per therm | Gasoline per gallon | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Philadelphia | United States | Philadelphia | United States | Philadelphia | |
| 2008 | ||||||
November |
$0.123 | $0.157 | $1.372 | $1.698 | $2.208 | $2.371 |
December |
0.124 | 0.157 | 1.355 | 1.606 | 1.742 | 1.857 |
| 2009 | ||||||
January |
0.126 | 0.158 | 1.321 | 1.606 | 1.838 | 1.770 |
February |
0.126 | 0.160 | 1.268 | 1.606 | 1.979 | 1.976 |
March |
0.126 | 0.159 | 1.208 | 1.487 | 2.000 | 2.002 |
April |
0.125 | 0.158 | 1.119 | 1.480 | 2.107 | 2.089 |
May |
0.126 | 0.159 | 1.051 | 1.483 | 2.314 | 2.261 |
June |
0.132 | 0.171 | 1.060 | 1.398 | 2.681 | 2.640 |
July |
0.131 | 0.171 | 1.074 | 1.398 | 2.594 | 2.667 |
August |
0.130 | 0.171 | 1.058 | 1.398 | 2.677 | 2.686 |
September |
0.130 | 0.171 | 1.028 | 1.378 | 2.626 | 2.700 |
October |
0.126 | 0.159 | 1.048 | 1.321 | 2.613 | 2.543 |
November |
1.124 | 0.159 | 1.110 | 1.325 | 2.709 | 2.665 |
Last Modified Date: January 8, 2010
