EPI Index Holds Steady in November

With an increase of only 0.4% from October, Electrical Marketing's Electrical Price Index was unusually stable last month. The only products showing month-to-month price changes of more than one percent were lamps (+7.8%); air conditioners (+4.6%); power cable (-1.5%) appliances (+1.3%); residential lighting (+1.2%); and wiring devices & connectors (+1.2%).

Electrical Price Index — November 2011

1997=100Nov. 2011Oct. 2011Nov. 2010% Change1 Mo. 1 Yr. Building Wire & Cable 215.5 215.8 235 -0.2 -8.3 Power Wire & Cable 205.1 208.2 202.3 -1.5 1.4 Telephone 183.4 182.0 169.3 0.8 8.3 H& & Power Tools 116.5 116.6 115.9 -0.1 0.5 Elec. Heating Equip. 127 126.7 124.4 0.3 2.1 Residential Lighting 126.9 125.3 122.0 1.3 4.1 Industrial Fixtures 124.3 123.2 117.8 0.9 5.5 Fans & Blowers 139.8 140 133.7 -0.1 4.6 Wiring Devices & Connectors 126.9 125.4 120.4 1.2 5.4 Pole Line Hardware 148.4 148.9 145.3 -0.3 2.2 Boxes 156.5 157 153.2 -0.3 2.2 Conduit Fittings 125.3 125.3 124.7 0.0 0.5 Metal Conduit 163.2 163.2 162.5 -0.1 0.4 Nonmetallic Conduit 132.6 132.8 131.8 -0.1 0.6 Motors 148.0 148.0 137.6 0.0 7.6 Generators 141.5 141.3 133.2 0.1 6.2 Ballasts 137.8 137.8 137.7 0.0 0.1 Elect. Meas. & Integ. Inst. 111.2 111.2 111.2 0.0 0.0 Transformers 126.2 126.3 124.3 -0.1 1.6 Panelboards & Switches 150.4 149.9 147.0 0.3 2.3 Circuit Breakers 157.1 156.7 153.6 0.3 2.3 Switchgear 158.3 157.9 156 0.2 1.5 Fuses 145 144.6 142.3 0.3 1.9 Industrial Controls 143.5 143.1 140.3 0.3 2.3 Lamps 133.5 123.9 121.2 7.8 10.2 Appliances 105 103.7 102.7 1.3 2.3 Air Conditioners 128 122.4 119.2 4.6 7.4 Fasteners 140.9 140.6 137.2 0.2 2.7 Total Index 141.6 141.1 141.0 0.4 0.4

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