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News Release Information

23-1009-CHI
Friday, May 12, 2023

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

Average Energy Prices, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin — April 2023

Gasoline prices averaged $4.250 per gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in April 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were down 29.6 cents compared to April 2022, when they averaged $4.546 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 18.0 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in April 2023, up from the 15.7 cents per kilowatt-hour paid in April 2022. In April, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was $0.999 per therm, lower than the $1.256 per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

The $4.250 per gallon Chicago area households paid for gasoline in April 2023 was 41.1 cents more than the nationwide average of $3.839. In the previous four years, in April (2019-2022), gasoline prices in the Chicago area have ranged from $1.936 to $4.546 per gallon. (See chart 1.)


The 18.0 cents per kWh that Chicago area households paid for electricity in April 2023 was 9.1 percent more than the national average cost of 16.5 cents per kWh. In the previous four years, in April (2019-2022), electricity costs in the Chicago area were as much as 22.2 percent more than the national average. (See chart 2.)


Prices paid by Chicago area households for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $0.999 per therm in April 2023, 29.3 percent less than the national average of $1.413 per therm. In the previous four years (2019-2022), in April, Chicago area utility (piped) gas costs were lower than the national average by as much as 27.9 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 May 2023 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 12, 2023.


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; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Average prices for gasoline, electricity, and utility (piped) gas, the United States and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI, April 2022–April 2023, not seasonally adjusted
Year and monthGasoline per gallonElectricity per kWhUtility (piped) gas per therm
United StatesChicago areaUnited StatesChicago areaUnited StatesChicago area

2022

April

$4.369$4.546$0.151$0.157$1.445$1.256

May

4.6955.0270.1540.1591.5651.634

June

5.1495.8140.16(R) 0.1461.6991.772

July

4.7685.364(R) 0.164(R) 0.1471.6291.762

August

4.2054.6590.167(R) 0.1491.6941.745

September

3.994.3270.167(R) 0.1491.7391.734

October

4.1304.5130.1660.1321.6681.721

November

3.9584.3000.1630.1331.6161.565

December

3.4593.5420.1650.1481.6671.334

2023

January

3.5553.6580.1680.1511.8191.266

February

3.6223.7250.1680.1561.6091.149

March

3.6603.8210.1660.1791.4931.007

April

3.8394.2500.1650.1801.4130.999

(R) Revised

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, May 12, 2023