Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Commodity.com.
With winter and cold weather upon us, many consumers will be bearing the burden of increased costs for heating sources like natural gas this year.
New data released from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in early December showed a continued rise in inflation, with consumer prices in November rising 6.8% over the prior year. One of the main categories driving inflation overall has been energy, where prices now are up a total of 33.3% over their 2020 levels.
While the rate of growth month-to-month has slowed, the cost of utility gas service was 25.1% higher in November than it was one year ago. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased volatility in both demand and supply for energy, and with supply currently lagging behind demand, consumers are facing higher prices as a result.
To identify the states with the most expensive natural gas prices, researchers at Commodity.com calculated the average residential natural gas price, expressed in dollars per million BTU.
Here are the states with the most expensive natural gas prices.
15. Maryland
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $12.60
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 13.23
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $167
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 80,133,138
14. Arizona
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $12.63
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 5.80
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $73
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 43,051,055
13. Vermont
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $12.74
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 6.33
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $81
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 3,948,896
12. North Carolina
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $12.76
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 6.27
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $80
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 66,414,665
11. South Carolina
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $13.01
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 5.79
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $75
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 30,188,107
10. California
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $13.64
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 12.08
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $165
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 475,462,426
9. New Hampshire
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $14.14
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 5.62
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $79
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 7,676,911
8. Connecticut
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $14.16
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 14.20
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $201
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 50,502,937
7. Massachusetts
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $14.19
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 18.10
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $257
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 124,785,321
6. Maine
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $14.35
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 2.28
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $33
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 3,071,594
5. Rhode Island
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $14.52
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 17.93
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $260
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 18,954,286
4. Georgia
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $14.90
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 11.60
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $173
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 124,266,821
3. Alabama
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $15.44
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 5.94
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $92
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 29,220,586
2. Florida
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $20.62
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 0.83
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $17
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 17,967,062
1. Hawaii
- Average residential natural gas price (dollars per million BTU): $36.40
- Annual natural gas consumption per capita (million BTU): 0.44
- Annual natural gas cost per capita: $16
- Total residential natural gas consumption (million BTU): 625,311
Methodology
The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s State Energy Data System (SEDS) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.
To determine the states with the most expensive natural gas prices, researchers calculated the average residential natural gas price, expressed in dollars per million BTU (MMBtu).
In the event of a tie, the state with the higher annual natural gas consumption per capita expressed in million BTU (MMBtu) was ranked higher. All data is for 2020, the most recent full year of data available.
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