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

Gasoline prices averaged $3.531 per gallon in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area in August 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Jason Palmer noted that area gasoline prices were up $1.174 compared to August 2020, when they averaged $2.357 per gallon. Chicago area households paid an average of 14.8 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in August 2021, similar to the 14.6 cents per kilowatt-hour paid in August 2020. In August, the average cost of utility (piped) gas was $1.120 per therm, more than its average price of 76.3 cents per therm a year earlier. (Data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year-analysis is used throughout.)

The $3.531 per gallon Chicago households paid for gasoline in August 2021 was 18.0 cents higher than the nationwide average of $3.351. In the previous four years, in August (2017-2020), Chicago area gasoline prices were higher than the national average, ranging from 5.2 cents to 14.7 cents more. (See chart 1.)

The 14.8 cents per kWh that Chicago households paid for electricity in August 2021 was similar to the national average cost of 14.4 cents per kWh. In Chicago, average electricity costs were higher than the national average in the previous four years (2017-2020) in August, ranging from 6.6 percent to 18.0 percent more. (See chart 2.)

Prices paid by Chicago area households for utility (piped) gas, commonly referred to as natural gas, were $1.120 per therm in August 2021, 11.6 percent less than the national average of $1.267 per therm. In the previous four years (2017-2020) in August, Chicago area utility (piped) gas costs were lower than the national average, ranging from 16.1 percent to 26.0 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 September 2021 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 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.

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
2020
August	$2.357	$2.245	$0.146	$0.137	$0.763	$1.031
September	2.312	2.260	0.142	0.137	0.791	1.064
October	2.253	2.228	0.142	0.135	0.793	1.067
November	2.176	2.159	0.141	0.136	0.808	1.104
December	2.290	2.235	0.141	0.136	0.808	1.114
2021
January	2.472	2.391	0.140	0.136	0.822	1.119
February	2.663	2.559	0.141	0.137	0.832	1.124
March	2.963	2.856	0.148	0.138	0.876	1.144
April	3.072	2.907	0.143	0.139	1.037	1.166
May	3.223	3.041	0.146	0.140	1.068	1.201
June	3.488	3.245	0.143	0.142	1.111	1.219
July	3.543	3.326	0.147	0.143	1.101	1.241
August	3.531	3.351	0.148	0.144	1.120	1.267

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.