Energy
Natural gas (piped utility gas), per therm

The price of natural gas

A therm of natural gas cost 30.4¢ in November 1978 and $1.70 in September 2026.

In Sep 2026 dollars it cost $1.52 in November 1978, so it is 12% more expensive now after inflation. The record is $1.82, in January 2023; the low was 30.4¢, in November 1978.

Download the data (CSV)See the BLS series
Nov 197830.4¢Sep 2026$1.70
$1.52

The Nov 1978 price in Sep 2026 dollars: what it cost then, in today’s money.

In one year
up 5.4%From $1.61 in Sep 2025
In ten years
up 78.2%From 95.4¢ in Sep 2016
Record high
$1.82January 2023
Record low
30.4¢November 1978

Natural gas, per therm, every month since Nov 1978

Price at the timeIn Sep 2026 dollars
Natural gas (piped utility gas): monthly U.S. average price, Nov 1978 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 30.4¢ in November 1978 to $1.70 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $1.52 to $1.70. Record high $1.82 in January 2023.$0.00$0.50$1.00$1.50$2.00$2.50$3.00198020002020$1.82, 2023$1.70Natural gas (piped utility gas): monthly U.S. average price, Nov 1978 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 30.4¢ in November 1978 to $1.70 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $1.52 to $1.70. Record high $1.82 in January 2023.$0.00$0.50$1.00$1.50$2.00$2.50$3.0019801990200020102020Record $1.82, 2023$1.70Natural gas (piped utility gas): monthly U.S. average price, Nov 1978 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 30.4¢ in November 1978 to $1.70 in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from $1.52 to $1.70. Record high $1.82 in January 2023.$0.00$0.50$1.00$1.50$2.00$2.50$3.001980198519901995200020052010201520202025Record $1.82, 2023$1.70

Solid line, yellow area: the average price in each month, in the dollars of that month. Dashed blue line: the same price restated in Sep 2026 dollars using the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U). Where the dashed line falls, the item got cheaper compared with everything else. Months with no published price are left as gaps when they are long, and bridged when they are a single month. Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read any month.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, average price series APU000072620 (U.S. city average); CPI-U CUUR0000SA0.

A January in every decade

“Now vs then” is the plain change on the shelf. “After inflation” compares the old price in Sep 2026 dollars with today’s: negative means it takes less of today’s money than it did.

Natural gas (piped utility gas): January prices in past decades compared with September 2026
MonthPrice thenIn today’s $Now vs thenAfter inflation
Jan 198038.1¢$1.65up 346.2%up 3.0%
Jan 199059.9¢$1.58up 183.8%up 7.3%
Jan 200071.2¢$1.42up 138.8%up 19.6%
Jan 2010$1.16$1.80up 47.2%down 5.3%
Jan 2020$1.07$1.39up 59.5%up 22.1%

Year by year

Averages of the monthly prices in each calendar year, newest first. Years with fewer than nine published months are left out; partial years are marked.

Natural gas (piped utility gas): yearly average price
YearAveragevs year beforeLowest monthHighest month
20269 of 12 months$1.70up 4.7%$1.68 Apr$1.75 Feb
202511 of 12 months$1.62up 13.7%$1.55 Jan$1.70 Dec
2024$1.43down 2.2%$1.37 May$1.52 Dec
2023$1.46down 7.6%$1.37 Jun$1.82 Jan
2022$1.58up 26.6%$1.41 Jan$1.74 Sep
2021$1.25up 18.2%$1.12 Jan$1.40 Dec
2020$1.05up 1.1%$1.03 Jul$1.11 Dec
2019$1.04down 0.3%$1.02 Sep$1.08 Jan
2018$1.05up 2.7%$1.02 Nov$1.08 Dec
2017$1.02up 10.7%98.9¢ Mar$1.04 Dec
Every year back to 1979
Natural gas (piped utility gas): yearly average price
YearAveragevs year beforeLowest monthHighest month
201692.1¢down 2.5%87.7¢ May97.2¢ Dec
201594.5¢down 12.4%89.2¢ Dec$1.04 Jan
2014$1.08up 7.0%$1.03 Oct$1.15 Mar
2013$1.01up 4.5%99.4¢ Mar$1.04 Jun
201296.5¢down 9.7%90.7¢ May$1.02 Jan
2011$1.07down 2.8%$1.03 Dec$1.09 Feb
2010$1.10down 1.9%$1.06 Nov$1.16 Feb
2009$1.12down 22.4%$1.03 Sep$1.32 Jan
2008$1.44up 14.1%$1.28 Jan$1.70 Jul
2007$1.26down 1.3%$1.21 Sep$1.30 Jun
2006$1.28up 2.4%$1.15 Oct$1.53 Jan
2005$1.25up 19.3%$1.10 Mar$1.55 Nov
2004$1.05up 8.3%99.2¢ Mar$1.15 Dec
200396.8¢up 23.3%88.1¢ Jan$1.03 Mar
200278.5¢down 16.3%75.5¢ Mar84.7¢ Dec
200193.8¢up 16.8%76.3¢ Oct$1.15 Jan
200080.3¢up 17.2%71.2¢ Jan97.7¢ Dec
199968.5¢up 0.4%65.8¢ Apr73.0¢ Nov
199868.2¢down 0.7%66.8¢ Aug70.5¢ Jan
199768.7¢up 6.4%65.1¢ May73.0¢ Feb
199664.6¢up 4.6%61.6¢ Mar69.0¢ Dec
199561.8¢down 4.8%60.0¢ Nov64.5¢ Jan
199464.9¢up 2.2%63.6¢ Oct66.6¢ Mar
199363.5¢up 6.6%61.6¢ Mar66.2¢ Dec
199259.6¢down 0.3%56.7¢ Mar62.3¢ Nov
199159.7¢up 1.4%58.4¢ Aug61.7¢ Jan
199058.9¢down 0.1%57.0¢ Apr60.5¢ Dec
198959.0¢up 1.3%58.4¢ Apr59.7¢ May
198858.2¢up 0.7%56.6¢ Apr59.9¢ May
198757.8¢down 3.4%55.8¢ Dec59.7¢ May
198659.9¢down 5.3%55.3¢ Nov62.8¢ Jun
198511 of 12 months63.2¢down 2.4%60.9¢ Dec65.2¢ May
198464.7¢unchanged 0.0%63.5¢ Dec66.1¢ Aug
198364.8¢up 15.7%62.1¢ Jan66.3¢ May
198256.0¢up 19.8%50.5¢ Jan61.3¢ Dec
198146.7¢up 15.0%42.6¢ Jan50.0¢ Sep
198040.6¢up 17.4%38.1¢ Jan42.7¢ Oct
197934.6¢—31.8¢ Jan37.5¢ Oct

About this number

  • What this number is. The average price BLS records for “Utility (piped) gas per therm” across U.S. cities, collected for the Consumer Price Index. It is an average across many stores and brands, not a price at any one store.
  • No price for October 2025. BLS did not publish one: data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.
  • 1 other month without a price between Sep 1985 and Sep 1985. BLS publishes an average only when it has enough price quotes; the yearly table skips thin years.
  • Today’s dollars. Prices are restated in Sep 2026 dollars by multiplying by CPI-U for Sep 2026 (336.94) and dividing by CPI-U for the month in question.

Sources

Download CSV573 rows: month, price, and price in Sep 2026 dollars

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