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News Release Information

20-272-CHI
Monday, February 24, 2020

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

Average Energy Prices, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn — January 2020

Gasoline prices averaged $2.569 per gallon in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area in January 2020, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Charlene Peiffer noted that area gasoline prices were higher compared to a year ago January when they averaged $2.032 per gallon. Detroit area households paid an average of 16.3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in January 2020, more than the 14.7 cents paid in January 2019. In January 2020, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was 88.6 cents per therm, compared to its average price of 86.4 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

At $2.569 per gallon in January 2020, costs for gasoline in the Detroit area were 6.2 cents lower than the national average of $2.631 per gallon. Over the previous four years in January (2016-2019) local area gasoline costs have ranged from 32.0 cents lower to 10.3 cents higher than the national average. (See chart 1.)

The 16.3 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) that Detroit area households paid for electricity in January 2020 was 21.6 percent more than the nationwide average cost of 13.4 cents per kWh. In the previous four years (2016-2019) in January, Detroit area electricity costs exceeded the national average, ranging from 8.9 percent to 24.6 percent more. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Detroit area consumers for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were 88.6 cents per therm in January 2020, 16.9 percent below the national average of $1.066 per therm. In the previous four years (2016-2019) in January, Detroit area utility (piped) gas costs were lower than the national average, ranging from 14.7 percent to 26.1 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 February 2020 is scheduled to be released Wednesday, March 11, 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 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, January 2019 – January 2020, not seasonally adjusted
Year and monthGasoline per gallonElectricity per kWhUtility (piped) gas per therm
Detroit areaUnited StatesDetroit areaUnited StatesDetroit areaUnited States

2019

January

$2.032$2.352$0.147$0.135$0.864$1.082

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

October

2.6372.7410.1710.1360.8961.041

November

2.5412.6870.1330.8751.058

December

2.5742.6520.1650.1330.8791.057

2020

January

2.5692.6310.1630.1340.8861.066

Note: Dash (–) indicates no data available.

 

Last Modified Date: Monday, February 24, 2020