Gasoline prices averaged $2.850 per gallon in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area in May 2019, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that area gasoline prices were lower than last May when they averaged $2.972 per gallon. Detroit area households paid an average of 15.1 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in May 2019, comparable to the 15.4 cents per kilowatt-hour in May 2018. In May, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was 87.1 cents per therm, similar to its average price of 86.2 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $2.850 per gallon in May 2019, costs for gasoline in the Detroit area were 11.3 cents lower than the national average of $2.963 per gallon. In the previous four years (2015-2018) in May, Detroit area gasoline prices ranged from 18.3 cents less to 6.3 cents more compared to the U.S. average. (See chart 1.)

The 15.1 cents per kWh that Detroit households paid for electricity in May 2019 was 11.0 percent higher than the nationwide average cost of 13.6 cents per kWh. In the previous four years (2015-2018) 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 87.1 cents per therm in May 2019, 15.8 percent below the national average of $1.035 per therm. In the previous four years (2015-2018) 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, MI, 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 2019 is scheduled to be released Thursday, July 11, 2019.

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 2018 – May 2019, not seasonally adjusted

Year and month	Gasoline per gallon		Electricity per kWh		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	Detroit area	United States	Detroit area	United States	Detroit area	United States
2018
May	$2.972	$2.963	$0.154	$0.136	$0.862	$1.050
June	3.014	2.970	0.161	0.139	0.870	1.042
July	2.968	2.930	0.161	0.139	0.846	1.038
August	2.953	2.919	0.156	0.139	0.841	1.055
September	2.923	2.930	0.156	0.138	0.852	1.030
October	2.891	2.945	0.157	0.136	0.858	1.023
November	2.661	2.733	0.150	0.134	0.868	1.020
December	2.295	2.479	–	0.135	0.852	1.085
2019
January	2.032	2.352	0.147	0.135	0.864	1.082
February	2.294	2.412	0.147	0.136	0.857	1.051
March	2.576	2.620	0.147	0.135	0.844	1.048
April	2.831	2.894	0.147	0.135	0.856	1.034
May	2.850	2.963	0.151	0.136	0.871	1.035
Note: Dash (–) indicates no data available.