Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

News Release Information

18-932-CHI
Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (312) 353-1138

Average Energy Prices, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn — May 2018

Gasoline prices averaged $2.972 per gallon in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area in May 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that area gasoline prices were up 48 cents compared to last May when they averaged $2.492 per gallon. Detroit area households paid an average of 15.4 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in May 2018, compared to the 16.1 cents per kilowatt-hour in May 2017. In May, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was 86.2 cents per therm, higher than its average price of 78.7 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $2.972 per gallon in May 2018, costs for gasoline in the Detroit area were similar to the national average of $2.963 per gallon. In the previous four years in May (2014-2017), gasoline prices in the Detroit area were also similar to the national average, except for May 2015 when gasoline prices in the local area were 18.3 cents less. (See chart 1.)

The 15.4 cents per kWh that Detroit households paid for electricity in May 2018 was 13.2 percent higher than the nationwide average cost of 13.6 cents per kWh. In the previous four years (2014-2017) in May, Detroit area electricity costs exceeded the national average, ranging from 4.4 percent to 17.5 percent more. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Detroit area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were 86.2 cents per therm in May 2018, 17.9 percent below the national average of $1.05 per therm. In the previous four years (2014-2017) in May, Detroit area utility (piped) gas costs were lower than the national average, ranging from 15.6 percent to 24.0 percent less. (See chart 3.)

The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Mich., core based statistical area covered in this release is comprised of Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, and Wayne Counties in Michigan.

Historical average energy prices for the U.S. and select metropolitan areas are available at www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/data/averageenergyprices_selectedareas_table.htm.

The Consumer Price Index for June 2018 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, July 12, 2018.


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, 9 divisions, 2 population size classes, 8 region/size-class cross-classifications, and the 23 largest local index areas. For electricity, average prices per kilowatt-hour (kWh) are published. For utility (piped) gas, average prices per therm 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.

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 Services: 800-877-8339.

Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and the United States, May 2017 – May 2018, not seasonally adjusted
Year and monthGasoline per gallonElectricity per kWhUtility (piped) gas per therm
Detroit areaUnited StatesDetroit areaUnited StatesDetroit areaUnited States

2017

May

$2.492$2.448$0.161$0.137$0.787$1.036

June

2.5172.4000.1640.1420.7801.040

July

2.5022.3440.1640.1430.7721.031

August

2.5662.4360.1630.1420.7751.027

September

2.6832.6880.1610.1420.7751.018

October

2.5972.5450.1540.1370.7741.020

November

2.7292.6080.1560.1360.7701.028

December

2.5332.5210.1560.1360.7721.042

2018

January

2.6632.5960.1640.1350.7741.048

February

2.5492.6320.1640.1350.7571.077

March

2.5732.6310.1640.1350.7571.054

April

2.7182.7950.1650.1340.7331.044

May

2.9722.9630.1540.1360.8621.050

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, June 19, 2018