EPI Rises 0.2 Percent in December

Jan. 28, 2011
EM's Electrical Price Index (EPI) took a breather in December, registering a 0.2% increase over November, after a 1.2% increase the previous month. Pole-line

EM's Electrical Price Index (EPI) took a breather in December, registering a 0.2% increase over November, after a 1.2% increase the previous month. Pole-line hardware (+1%)and boxes (+1%) were the only two product categories that showed a change of at least 1% for the month. As expected, building wire (+7.2%) and power cable (+10.8%) had the biggest YTY increases.

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), non-metallic conduit, and generators. Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Global Insight

Electrical Price Index — December 2010

1997=100Dec. 2010Nov. 2010Dec. 2009% Change1 Mo. 1 Yr. Building Wire & Cable 235.2 235 219.4 0.1 7.2 Power Wire & Cable 204.4 202.7 184.4 0.8 10.8 Telephone 171.7 171.2 160 0.3 7.3 Hand & Power Tools 116 115.9 115.6 0 0.4 Elec. Heating Equip. 124.7 124.4 124.7 0.2 -0.1 Residential Lighting 122 121.6 121.1 0.3 0.7 Industrial Fixtures 117.9 117.8 116.7 0.1 1.0 Fans & Blowers 133.7 133.7 132.2 0.1 1.2 Wiring Devices & Connectors 121.1 121.1 118.5 0 2.3 Pole Line Hardware 146.2 144.7 140.6 1.0 3.9 Boxes 154.2 152.7 148.3 1.0 3.9 Conduit Fittings 124.8 124.7 124.3 0.1 0.5 Metal Conduit 162.7 162.4 161.6 0.2 0.7 Nonmetallic Conduit 132 131.6 130.5 0.3 1.2 Motors 138.5 137.6 132.1 0.7 4.8 Generators 134.1 133.2 129.4 0.7 3.6 Ballasts 137.7 137.7 137.7 0 0 Elect. Meas. & Integ. Inst. 111.2 111.2 111.2 0 0 Transformers 124 124.3 121.7 -0.3 1.9 Panelboards & Switches 147.5 147.5 141.1 0 4.5 Circuit Breakers 154.1 154.1 147.4 0 4.5 Switchgear 157 156 155.7 0.7 0.8 Fuses 143 142.5 139.2 0.3 2.7 Industrial Controls 140.7 140.7 134.6 0 4.5 Lamps 121.7 121.7 120.4 0 1.1 Appliances 102.6 102.6 103 0 -0.4 Air Conditioners 119.7 119 122.1 0.6 -2.0 Fasteners 136.9 137.2 131.7 -0.2 3.9 Total Index 141.3 141.1 137.1 0.2 3.1