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News Release Information

21-434-CHI
Tuesday, March 30, 2021

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

Average Energy Prices, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin — February 2021

Gasoline prices averaged $2.663 per gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in February 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were up 3.4 cents compared to February 2020, when they averaged $2.629 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 14.1 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in February 2021, compared to 14.9 cents in February 2020. In February, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was 83.2 cents per therm, more than its average price of 77.0 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

The $2.663 per gallon Chicago households paid for gasoline in February 2021 was higher than the nationwide average of $2.559. With one exception (February 2019) when local area prices were comparable to the national average, Chicago area gasoline prices in the previous four years in February (2017-2020) ranged from 6.0 cents to 9.9 cents more than the nationwide average. (See chart 1.)


The 14.1 cents per kWh that Chicago households paid for electricity in February 2021 was comparable to the national average cost of 13.7 cents per kWh. In Chicago, average electricity costs were higher than the national average in the previous four years (2017-2020) in February, ranging from 11.2 percent to 20.0 percent more. (See chart 2.)


Prices paid by Chicago area households for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were 83.2 cents per therm in February 2021, 26.0 percent less than the national average of $1.124 per therm. In each of the previous four years (2017-2020) in February, Chicago area utility (piped) gas costs were lower than the national average, ranging from 11.8 percent to 26.7 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 March 2021 is scheduled to be released on Tuesday, April 13, 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, February 2020 – February 2021, not seasonally adjusted
Year and monthGasoline per gallonElectricity per kWhUtility (piped) gas per therm
Chicago areaUnited StatesChicago areaUnited StatesChicago areaUnited States

2020

February

$2.629$2.530$0.149$0.134$0.770$1.050

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

2021

January

2.4722.3910.1400.1360.8221.119

February

2.6632.5590.1410.1370.8321.124

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, March 30, 2021