Housing · BLS CPI-U · 1997–2026
Natural gas (piped) Inflation — U.S. Consumer Price Index
As of June 2026, the CPI-U index for Utility (piped) gas service is up 3.0% from a year earlier. Piped utility gas for the home.
Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). pumsdata is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by BLS.
Natural gas (piped): year-over-year inflation, 1998–2026
Percent change from the same month a year earlier, from the not-seasonally-adjusted CPI-U index.
October 2025 is missing from every CPI series — the federal government shutdown halted collection and the month was never published. Charts show a gap, and year-over-year and month-over-month figures skip any comparison touching the missing month; values are never interpolated.
Natural gas (piped): annual averages
BLS annual-average index (the CPI file’s M13 rows, shown verbatim) and the year-over-year change in that average — the standard “annual inflation” figure.
| Year | Annual avg. index | Annual inflation |
|---|---|---|
| 2025* | 255.6 | +11.4% |
| 2024 | 229.6 | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 233.7 | -7.2% |
| 2022 | 251.8 | +25.8% |
| 2021 | 200.1 | +16.7% |
| 2020 | 171.4 | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 171.0 | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 173.6 | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 173.4 | +8.0% |
| 2016 | 160.6 | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 164.6 | -11.9% |
| 2014 | 186.8 | +7.1% |
| 2013 | 174.5 | +4.7% |
| 2012 | 166.6 | -9.6% |
| 2011 | 184.3 | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 189.7 | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 193.7 | -21.8% |
| 2008 | 247.8 | +13.8% |
| 2007 | 217.7 | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 220.8 | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 215.4 | +19.6% |
| 2004 | 180.1 | +8.3% |
| 2003 | 166.3 | +22.9% |
| 2002 | 135.3 | -14.5% |
| 2001 | 158.3 | +19.9% |
| 2000 | 132.0 | +16.8% |
| 1999 | 113.0 | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 112.4 | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 114.6 | — |
*The 2025 annual average reflects the eleven published months — October 2025 was never collected because of the federal government shutdown.
Natural gas (piped) inflation by region & metro area
Latest year-over-year change in each area’s own index. Many metro series are published bimonthly, so the “as of” month can trail the national index. Index levels are not comparable across areas — each series measures change over time from its own base period.
| Area | Year over year | As of |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. city average | +3.0% | June 2026 |
| Midwest | -1.0% | June 2026 |
| Northeast | +8.4% | June 2026 |
| Size Class A | +2.6% | June 2026 |
| Size Class B/C | +3.5% | June 2026 |
| South | +6.2% | June 2026 |
| West | -1.1% | June 2026 |
Natural gas (piped) inflation — FAQ
What is the current Natural gas (piped) inflation rate?+
As of June 2026, the CPI-U index for Utility (piped) gas service is up 3.0% from a year earlier (not seasonally adjusted). Month over month, the seasonally adjusted index moved +0.5% in June 2026.
When was Natural gas (piped) inflation highest since 1997?+
By annual averages, the biggest increase since 1997 came in 2022, when the Utility (piped) gas service index rose 25.8% over 2021.
Is Natural gas (piped) inflation higher than overall inflation?+
As of June 2026, the Utility (piped) gas service index is up 3.0% year over year, versus up 3.5% for overall inflation (all items CPI-U). That is a slower increase than overall inflation (all items CPI-U) — prices in this category are still rising, just less quickly.
Why is October 2025 missing from the Natural gas (piped) data?+
October 2025 is missing from every CPI series — the federal government shutdown halted collection and the month was never published. Charts show a gap, and year-over-year and month-over-month figures skip any comparison touching the missing month; values are never interpolated.
Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). pumsdata is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by BLS.