EPI Slides 2.9 Percent in September

Electrical Marketing's Electrical Price Index (EPI) dropped 2.9% from August, largely due to declines in building wire and cable and power wire and cable of -12.7% and -2.4%, respectively. The EPI is up 2.9% over Sept. 2010. The only other categories showing notable change for the month were residential lighting fixtures (+1.2%) and air conditioners (-3.5%).

Electrical Price Index — September 2011

1997=100Sept. 2011Aug. 2011Sept. 2010% Change1 Mo. 1 Yr. Building Wire & Cable 216.2 247.7 219.7 -12.7 -1.6 Power Wire & Cable 217.6 222.9 197.3 -2.4 10.3 Telephone 186.3 185.3 164 0.5 13.6 H& & Power Tools 116.5 116.5 116 0 0.5 Elec. Heating Equip. 126.7 126.5 124.5 0.2 1.8 Residential Lighting 125.2 123.8 123.1 1.2 1.8 Industrial Fixtures 120.7 120.7 117.6 0 2.6 Fans & Blowers 140.3 140.5 133.8 -0.1 4.8 Wiring Devices & Connectors 125.7 124.7 121.1 0.8 3.8 Pole Line Hardware 148.4 148.2 143.9 0.1 3.1 Boxes 156.6 156.4 151.8 0.1 3.1 Conduit Fittings 125.3 125.3 124.6 0 0.6 Metal Conduit 163.2 163.1 162.3 0 0.6 Nonmetallic Conduit 132.6 132.6 131.4 0 0.9 Motors 147.3 147.6 137.6 -0.2 7.0 Generators 140.9 140.9 132.8 0 6.0 Ballasts 137.4 137.4 137.7 0 -0.2 Elect. Meas. & Integ. Inst. 111.2 111.2 111.2 0 0 Transformers 127.1 127.1 123 -0.1 3.3 Panelboards & Switches 150.4 150.4 145.6 0 3.3 Circuit Breakers 157.1 157.1 152.1 0 3.3 Switchgear 158.4 159 155.7 -0.3 1.8 Fuses 145.1 145.3 141.5 -0.1 2.6 Industrial Controls 143.5 143.5 138.9 0 3.3 Lamps 123.9 123.9 121.7 0 1.8 Appliances 103.9 103.4 102.6 0.4 1.2 Air Conditioners 121.9 126.3 121 -3.5 0.7 Fasteners 140.7 140.5 137.3 0.1 2.5 Total Index 141.3 145.6 138.6 -2.9 1.9

Note: All EPI series represent Global Insight aggregates of Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) producer price indices (PPIs). The revised data partly reflect redefinitions of specific PPIs by the BLS, but mostly reflect the rebenchmarking of all EPI price series to a 1997 base year. The four following EPI series have been affected by BLS redefinitions: boxes, conduit (fittings), nonmetallic conduit, and generators. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Global Insight