Do natural gas prices rise in colder months?

Natural gas is used to heat homes and businesses and to generate electricity. Prices for imported natural gas fluctuate during the year and usually rise as temperatures get colder toward the end of autumn. In late fall 2017 and early winter 2018, prices for imported natural gas rose, increasing 25.7 percent in November 2017, 20.0 percent in December 2017, and 13.4 percent in January 2018. Afterward, import prices for natural gas mostly fell until warmer weather arrived in early summer 2018. In October 2018, prices for imported natural gas rose 24.6 percent.

Although prices for imported natural gas usually rise in autumn, they sometimes do not. Prices did not rise—and actually fell somewhat—in the autumn of 2011 and 2015. In those years, the supply of natural gas increased enough to meet the higher demand that came with colder temperatures. Prices for imported natural gas also have risen substantially in other seasons of some years, depending on the supply of and demand for natural gas around the world.

These data are from the International Price program. They are not seasonally adjusted. Import and export price changes may be revised in each of the 3 months after original publication. For more information, see “U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes – October 2018.” We also have more charts on import and export price trends.