Natural Gas Utility Prices: What the BLS Data Shows
Heading into the colder months of late 2026, home heating expenses are once again front and center for household budgets. Piped natural gas heats millions of American homes, and knowing how fuel rates are trending can help you anticipate seasonal bill spikes and take sensible steps to keep overall utility costs under control.
Latest Price Check: Where Natural Gas Rates Stand
According to the latest monthly consumer figures released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nationwide average price for piped natural gas was $1.70 per therm in September 2026. This data comes from the BLS Average Price Data series APU000072620, which measures utility natural gas per therm across U.S. cities on a not seasonally adjusted basis.
That $1.70 figure represents a slight month-over-month decrease of -0.8% compared to August 2026, when the price stood at $1.71 per therm. However, prices remain higher than they were a year prior. In September 2025, the average price was $1.61 per therm, meaning rates have risen +5.4% over the past twelve months. Looking back two years to September 2024, when the rate was $1.40 per therm, the price shows an increase of +21.5%.
Long-Term Trends: From Pre-Pandemic Levels to Today
Examining multi-year data provides important context for current utility bills. In January 2020, before the onset of widespread pandemic disruptions, the average cost for piped natural gas was $1.07 per therm. The September 2026 level of $1.70 represents an increase of +59.5% compared to that January 2020 baseline. Five years ago, in September 2021, the price stood at $1.30 per therm, placing current levels +30.6% above that mark.
Despite recent gains, today's prices remain below the highest peak recorded in the data window extending from January 2016 through September 2026. That peak occurred in January 2023, when prices reached $1.82 per therm. The September 2026 rate is -6.5% below that high-water mark. Conversely, the lowest monthly price recorded across this entire span occurred in May 2016, when piped gas fell to $0.88 per therm.
A review of annual averages calculated from the BLS piped gas price series shows how full-year pricing has evolved:
- 2016 to 2020: Annual averages hovered at lower levels, starting at $0.92 in 2016, moving to $1.02 in 2017, $1.05 in 2018, $1.04 in 2019, and $1.05 in 2020.
- 2021 to 2024: Averages rose to $1.25 in 2021 and peaked at $1.58 in 2022, before easing to $1.46 in 2023 and $1.43 in 2024.
- 2025 to 2026: The annual average climbed back up to $1.62 in 2025 (covering 11 months, with no value published for October). Across the January through September period of 2026, the average stands at $1.70.
Key Natural Gas Price Benchmarks
The following table tracks how the latest published rate compares to major historical milestones within the series:
| Time Period | Price per Therm | Change to September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 (Latest Available) | $1.70 | Baseline |
| September 2025 (One Year Earlier) | $1.61 | +5.4% |
| September 2021 (Five Years Earlier) | $1.30 | +30.6% |
| January 2020 (Pre-Pandemic Baseline) | $1.07 | +59.5% |
| January 2023 (Window Peak) | $1.82 | -6.5% |
How Piped Gas Is Billed: Therms and Rates
To manage natural gas costs, it helps to understand how your utility calculates your bill. Natural gas prices are published by the BLS in therms, which are standardized units representing heating value. When gas utilities meter consumption in hundred or thousand cubic feet, those volumetric measurements are converted to a price per therm based on heating value. In addition, the BLS price figures include federal, state, and local taxes, just as your monthly statement does.
Utility bills priced for the Consumer Price Index reflect different consumption amounts and various residential rate schedules. Because utilities use different rate structures and consumer usage varies widely, the BLS cautions that average prices per therm are generally not suitable for direct place-to-place price comparisons.
Practical Household Ways to Pay Less for Natural Gas
While you cannot control market prices or mandated tax rates, you can influence the total amount you spend each billing cycle. Consider these practical actions:
- Examine your residential rate schedule: Utilities often offer different rate structures depending on usage patterns or payment programs. Review your bill to confirm which residential schedule applies to your home and contact your provider to ask if an alternate schedule offers lower overall charges.
- Watch billed therms, not just total dollars: Much like using unit pricing to evaluate supermarket purchases, tracking actual therms consumed helps separate price shifts from usage changes. Applying basic price tracking habits to your monthly statements lets you spot abnormal consumption before it creates budget surprises.
- Check your billing unit conversions: If your gas meter records usage in hundred or thousand cubic feet, check your monthly statement to see the heating value factor your utility uses to convert cubic volume into billed therms.
- Reduce heating demand directly: Therms reflect heating value, meaning energy reductions come directly from lowering thermal demand. Adjust thermostat settings downward during sleeping hours or when the house is empty, and seal drafts around windows and exterior door frames to prevent heated air from escaping.
Sources
Data and methodology in this article come from the following official publications:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Utility (piped) gas per therm in U.S. city average (Series APU000072620)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: CPI Average Price Data Factsheet
Published October 28, 2026. No affiliate links on this page. Facts come from the sources linked above; check them for updates.