Gasoline prices averaged $3.982 a gallon in the Chicago-Gary-Kenosha area in April 2013, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Charlene Peiffer noted that area gasoline prices were down 29.6 cents compared to last April when they averaged $4.278 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 13.1 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity in April 2013, down from 15.3 cents per kWh in April 2012. The average cost of utility (piped) gas at 85.2 cents per therm in April was greater than the 64.0 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)  

At $3.982 a gallon, costs for gasoline in the Chicago area were 9.2 percent higher than the national average in April 2013. A year earlier, consumers in the Chicago area paid 7.6 percent more than the national average for a gallon of gasoline. The local price of a gallon of gasoline has exceeded the national average by more than 6 percent in the month of April in four of the past five years. (See chart 1.)

The 13.1 cents per kWh that Chicago households paid for electricity in April 2013 was comparable to the nationwide average of 12.8 cents per kWh. Last April, electricity costs were 20.5 percent higher in Chicago compared to the nation. Between April 2009 and April 2012, prices paid by Chicago area consumers for electricity exceeded the U.S. average by as much as April 2012’s 20.5 percent to 8.7 percent in April 2010. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Chicago area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were 85.2 cents per therm, or 16.5 percent less compared to the national average of $1.020 per therm in April 2013. A year earlier, area consumers paid 32.7 percent less per therm for natural gas compared to the nation. Over the past five Aprils, the per therm cost of natural gas for the Chicago area has ranged from this April’s 16.5 percent less than the U.S. average to 34.5 percent less in April 2009. (See chart 3.)

The Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, Ill.-Ind.-Wis. Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area (CMSA) consists of Cook, De Kalb, Du Page, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties in Illinois; Lake and Porter Counties in Indiana; and Kenosha County in Wisconsin.

Historical average energy prices for the U.S. and select metropolitan areas are available at www.bls.gov/ro5/ro5econ1.htm.

Technical Note

Average prices are estimated from Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for selected commodity series to support the research and analytic needs of CPI data users. Average prices for electricity, utility (piped) gas, and gasoline are published monthly for the U.S. city average, the 4 regions, the 3 population size classes, 10 region/size-class cross-classifications, and the 14 largest local index areas. For electricity, average prices per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and per 500 kWh are published. For utility (piped) gas, average prices per therm, per 40 therms, and per 100 therms are published. For gasoline, the average price per gallon is published. Average prices for commonly available grades of gasoline are published as well as the average price across all grades.

Price quotes for 40 therms and 100 therms of utility (piped) gas and for 500 kWh of electricity are collected in sample outlets for use in the average price programs only. Since they are for specified consumption amounts, they are not used in the CPI. All other price quotes used for average price estimation are regular CPI data.

With the exception of the 40 therms, 100 therms, and 500 kWh price quotes, all eligible prices are converted to a price per normalized quantity. These prices are then used to estimate a price for a defined fixed quantity.

The average price per kilowatt-hour represents the total bill divided by the kilowatt-hour usage. The total bill is the sum of all items applicable to all consumers appearing on an electricity bill including, but not limited to, variable rates per kWh, fixed costs, taxes, surcharges, and credits.  This calculation also applies to the average price per therm for utility (piped) gas.

Information from this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200, Federal Relay Service: 800-877-8339.