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News Release Information

19-1803-CHI
Wednesday, October 30, 2019

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

Average Energy Prices, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn — September 2019

Gasoline prices averaged $2.724 per gallon in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area in September 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 September when they averaged $2.923 per gallon. Detroit area households paid an average of 17.3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in September 2019, more than the 15.6 cents per kilowatt-hour in September 2018. In September, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was 86.0 cents per therm, similar to its average price of 85.2 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $2.724 per gallon in September 2019, costs for gasoline in the Detroit area were comparable to the national average of $2.694 per gallon. Average gasoline costs were similar to the U.S. average during the past four Septembers (2015-2018), with the exception of September 2016, when average gasoline costs in Detroit were 13.1 cents higher than the national average. (See chart 1.)

The 17.3 cents per kWh that Detroit households paid for electricity in September 2019 was 24.5 percent higher than the nationwide average cost of 13.9 cents per kWh. In the previous four years (2015-2018) in September, Detroit area electricity costs exceeded the national average, ranging from 8.5 percent to 21.6 percent more. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Detroit area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were 86.0 cents per therm in September 2019, 15.6 percent below the national average of $1.019 per therm. In the previous four years (2015-2018) in September, Detroit area utility (piped) gas costs were lower than the national average, ranging from 14.4 percent to 23.9 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 October 2019 is scheduled to be released Wednesday, November 13, 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, September 2018 – September 2019, not seasonally adjusted
Year and monthGasoline per gallonElectricity per kWhUtility (piped) gas per therm
Detroit areaUnited StatesDetroit areaUnited StatesDetroit areaUnited States

2018

September

$2.923$2.930$0.156$0.138$0.852$1.030

October

2.8912.9450.1570.1360.8581.023

November

2.6612.7330.1500.1340.8681.020

December

2.2952.4790.1350.8521.085

2019

January

2.0322.3520.1470.1350.8641.082

February

2.2942.4120.1470.1360.8571.051

March

2.5762.6200.1470.1350.8441.048

April

2.8312.8940.1470.1350.8561.034

May

2.8502.9630.1510.1360.8711.035

June

2.7462.8140.1580.1390.8741.035

July

2.9182.8360.1730.1400.8631.029

August

2.7762.7160.1720.1390.8821.034

September

2.7242.6940.1730.1390.8601.019

Note: Dash (–) indicates no data available.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2019