Electrical Marketing’s Electrical Price Index increased just 0.1% in December, extending its streak of little change for yet another month. Two product categories decreased more than 1%: pole-line hardware (-1.2%); boxes (-1.2%). The air conditoners category increased 4.4%. Year-over-year, the EPI increased 0.8% in December compared to Dec. 2011.
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