West South Central had highest increase in residential natural gas prices

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 140 views 

Between June 2012 and March 2017, residential natural gas prices increased 41% in the West South Central — the U.S. region that includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nationwide, the Producer Price Index for residential natural gas rose 13% over the period.

In October 2016, the BLS started to release regional details for the Producer Price Index for natural gas distribution to show how the changing natural gas market is impacting prices for end users regionally.

The Middle Atlantic, which includes New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, was the only region in the United States with a decrease in residential natural gas distribution prices, between June 2012 and March 2017. The Producer Price Index for residential natural gas in the Middle Atlantic fell 9.4%. The decrease was partly because of the large supply of natural gas in the area.

The West South Central had the highest jump in residential natural gas prices, and the region with the second highest increase was New England, rising 18.4%. New England includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.