On December 10, the federal government published November’s Consumer Price Index.
The headline for us? Residential electric rates rose slower in November than the overall inflation rate for the first time since July.
As a result, while overall inflation as tracked by the CPI is up 6.8 percent in the last twelve months, electric rates are up a little less during this same time period, by 6.5 percent.
So the real inflation-adjusted cost of electricity actually fell, albeit slightly.
This cannot be said of other energy prices paid by the American consumer. Residential gas rates are up 25.1 percent in the last twelve months. Fuel oil is up 59.3 percent. Motor gasoline is up 58.1 percent.