Gasoline prices averaged $2.848 a gallon in the Chicago-Gary-Kenosha area in November 2017, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that area gasoline prices were up 60.6 cents compared to November 2016 when they averaged $2.242 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 15.8 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in November 2017, up 6.8 percent from November 2016. In November, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was 82.3 cents per therm, lower than its average price of 86.9 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $2.848 a gallon, prices for gasoline in the Chicago area were 24.0 cents higher than the $2.608 national average in November 2017. With the exception of November 2016, when Chicago area gasoline prices were similar to the national average, Chicago area gasoline prices in the previous four years (2013-2016) in November have exceeded the national average, ranging from 8.3 cents to 12.6 cents more. (See chart 1.)

The 15.8 cents per kWh that Chicago households paid for electricity in November 2017 was 16.2 percent higher than the nationwide average cost of 13.6 cents per kWh. In the previous three years (2014-2016) in November, Chicago area electricity costs have exceeded the national average, ranging from 11.2 percent to 17.9 percent more. In November 2013, Chicago area electricity costs were similar to the national average. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Chicago area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were 82.3 cents per therm in November 2017, 19.9 percent below the national average of $1.028 per therm. Chicago area utility (piped) gas costs in the previous four years (2013-2016) in November were lower than the national average, ranging from 10.4 percent to 18.8 percent less. (See chart 3.)

The Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, Ill.-Ind.-Wis., Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will Counties in Illinois; Lake 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 December 2017 is scheduled to be released on Friday, January 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, the 3 population size classes, 10 region/size-class cross-classifications, and the 14 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-Gary-Kenosha and the United States, November 2016 – November 2017, not seasonally adjusted

Year and month	Gasoline per gallon		Electricity per kWh		Utility (piped) gas per therm
	Chicago area	United States	Chicago area	United States	Chicago area	United States
2016
November	$2.242	$2.246	$0.148	$0.131	$0.869	$0.970
December	2.433	2.289	0.148	0.133	0.836	0.972
2017
January	2.556	2.409	0.152	0.134	0.876	1.000
February	2.420	2.360	0.152	0.135	0.885	1.003
March	2.456	2.386	0.154	0.134	0.867	0.989
April	2.653	2.479	0.151	0.135	0.861	1.000
May	2.538	2.448	0.150	0.137	0.875	1.036
June	2.452	2.400	0.161	0.142	0.890	1.040
July	2.487	2.344	0.160	0.143	0.878	1.031
August	2.556	2.436	0.161	0.142	0.862	1.027
September	2.688	2.688	0.161	0.142	0.847	1.018
October	2.650	2.545	0.136	0.137	0.830	1.020
November	2.848	2.608	0.158	0.136	0.823	1.028