September EPI Holds Steady

After several months of incremental positive change, EM's Electrical Price Index for September did not increase over August. The EPI did show a year-to-year increase of 2.8%. Categories with increases of more than one percent over August were power wire and cable (+1.1%); telephone (+1.1%); and air conditioners (+3.8%). No product categories registered significant declines.

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

Electrical Price Index — September 2010

1997=100Sept.
2010Aug.
2010Sept.
2009% Change1 Mo. 1 Yr. Building Wire & Cable 221.6 223.2 206.6 -0.7 7.3 Power Wire & Cable 194 191.8 159.7 1.1 21.4 Telephone 163.4 161.6 156.4 1.1 4.5 Hand & Power Tools 116 116 115.5 0 0.4 Elec. Heating Equip. 124.3 124.3 124.5 0 -0.1 Residential Lighting 122.3 122.5 121.4 -0.2 0.7 Industrial Fixtures 117.5 118.2 118.6 -0.6 -1 Fans & Blowers 133.9 134.2 132 -0.2 1.4 Wiring Devices & Connectors 120.5 120.3 118.2 0.1 1.9 Pole Line Hardware 144 143.1 141.2 0.6 2 Boxes 151.9 151 149 0.6 2 Conduit Fittings 124.6 124.5 124.3 0 0.2 Metal Conduit 162.3 162.1 161.7 0.1 0.3 Nonmetallic Conduit 131.4 131.2 130.7 0.2 0.6 Motors 137.5 137.8 132.1 -0.2 4.1 Generators 132.8 133 129.4 -0.2 2.6 Ballasts 137.7 137.7 137.7 0 0 Elect. Meas. & Integ. Inst. 111.1 111.2 111.2 0 -0.1 Transformers 123 123.1 121.6 -0.1 1.2 Panelboards & Switches 145.4 145.4 140.7 0 3.4 Circuit Breakers 152 152 147 0 3.4 Switchgear 155.6 155.8 154.3 -0.2 0.8 Fuses 141.3 141.4 138.3 0 2.2 Industrial Controls 138.8 138.8 134.3 0 3.4 Lamps 121.7 121.7 119.6 0 1.7 Appliances 102.3 102.4 103 0 -0.6 Air Conditioners 120.8 116.3 122.2 3.9 -1.1 Fasteners 137.7 137.3 130.6 0.3 5.5 Total Index 138.8 138.7 135 0.0 2.8