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News Release Information

21-18-CHI
Monday, January 25, 2021

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

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

Gasoline prices averaged $2.290 per gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in December 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were down 34.8 cents compared to December 2019, when they averaged $2.638 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 14.1 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in December 2020, unchanged from December 2019. In December, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was 80.8 cents per therm, more than its average price of 76.0 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

The $2.290 per gallon Chicago households paid for gasoline in December 2020 was higher than the nationwide average of $2.235. In the previous four years in December (2016-2019), gasoline prices in the Chicago area ranged from 17.0 cents less to 16.9 cents more than the nationwide average. (See chart 1.)


The 14.1 cents per kWh that Chicago households paid for electricity in December 2020 was comparable to the national average cost of 13.6 cents per kWh. In Chicago, average electricity costs were higher than the national average in the previous four years (2016-2019) in December, ranging from 6.0 percent to 16.2 percent more. (See chart 2.)


Prices paid by Chicago area households for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were 80.8 cents per therm in December 2020, 27.5 percent less than the national average of $1.114 per therm. In each of the previous four years (2016-2019) in December, Chicago area utility (piped) gas costs were lower than the national average, ranging from 14.0 percent to 28.1 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 January 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 10, 2021.


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, December 2019 – December 2020, not seasonally adjusted
Year and monthGasoline per gallonElectricity per kWhUtility (piped) gas per therm
Chicago areaUnited StatesChicago areaUnited StatesChicago areaUnited States

2019

December

$2.638$2.652$0.141$0.133$0.760$1.057

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

October

2.2532.2280.1420.1350.7931.067

November

2.1762.1590.1410.1360.8081.104

December

2.2902.2350.1410.1360.8081.114

 

Last Modified Date: Monday, January 25, 2021