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News Release Information

20-1931-CHI
Wednesday, October 28, 2020

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

Average Energy Prices, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin — September 2020

Gasoline prices averaged $2.312 per gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in September 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were down 48.4 cents compared to September 2019 when they averaged $2.796 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 14.2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in September 2020, less than the 16.1 cents in September 2019. In September, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was 79.1 cents per therm, more than its average price of 75.6 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

The $2.312 per gallon Chicago households paid for gasoline in September 2020 was 5.2 cents more than the nationwide average of $2.260. In the previous four years in September (2016-2019), gasoline prices in the Chicago area were up to 14.6 cents per gallon more than the nationwide average. (See chart 1.)

The 14.2 cents per kWh that Chicago households paid for electricity in September 2020 was comparable to the national average cost of 13.7 cents per kWh. Average electricity costs in Chicago were higher than the national average in the previous four years (2016-2019) in September, ranging from 8.6 percent to 15.8 percent more. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Chicago area households for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were 79.1 cents per therm in September 2020, 25.7 percent less than the national average of $1.064 per therm. In each of the previous four years (2016-2019) in September, Chicago area utility (piped) gas costs were lower than the national average, ranging from 11.5 percent to 25.8 percent less. (See chart 3.)

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, core based statistical area consists of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties in Illinois; Jasper, Lake, Newton, 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/regions/midwest/data/averageenergyprices_selectedareas_table.htm.

The Consumer Price Index for October 2020 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, November 12, 2020.


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 in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, and the United States, September 2019 – September 2020, not seasonally adjusted
Year and monthGasoline per gallonElectricity per kWhUtility (piped) gas per therm
Chicago areaUnited StatesChicago areaUnited StatesChicago areaUnited States

2019

September

$2.796$2.694$0.161$0.139$0.756$1.019

October

2.7332.7410.1660.1360.7671.041

November

2.6762.6870.1410.1330.7641.058

December

2.6382.6520.1410.1330.7601.057

2020

January

2.6822.6310.1450.1340.7721.066

February

2.6292.5300.1490.1340.7701.050

March

2.3662.3340.1430.1340.7571.034

April

1.9361.9460.1440.1330.7411.028

May

2.1661.9460.1500.1340.7531.037

June

2.3412.1410.1430.1370.7741.037

July

2.3702.2430.1450.1370.7621.027

August

2.3572.2450.1460.1370.7631.031

September

2.3122.2600.1420.1370.7911.064

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, October 28, 2020