Gas Isn't The Only Thing Getting More Expensive In Eastern PA

Norristown PA

19 October, 2021

10:03 AM

Description

PENNSYLVANIA — There's been a big jump at the gas pump lately in the Keystone State. But Pennsylvania residents are also paying more for a wide variety of other essential items, including food, furniture and clothes, according to federal statistics. Gas prices have increased again in Pennsylvania and across the nation, due in large part to high crude oil prices, analysts say. AAA Mid-Atlantic says the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the greater Philadelphia area on Tuesday was $3.51 – up four cents overnight and eight cents from a week ago. Statewide, Pennsylvania's average price is $3.49 Tuesday, up two cents overnight and up seven cents in the last week. Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Pennsylvania were paying an average of $2.48 a gallon a year ago at this time. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of gasoline has shot up 37 percent in the Philadelphia area since September 2020, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). And it may be causing a ripple effect for other essential goods, officials said. In the Philadelphia area, food prices have risen 3 percent since April. Categories experiencing the sharpest increases include pork chops and eggs, while prices decreased for items like breakfast cereal, rice, and pasta. Powering homes and residential areas is also getting more expensive, officials noted. Prices for utility gas service increased by 3.2 percent region wide, while prices for electricity bumped up 1.2 percent. Other yearly price hikes in the Philadelphia area included: Higher prices for shelter (1.7 percent) included an increase in owners' equivalent rent (0.8 percent)Higher prices for new and used motor vehicles (24.7 percent) included jumps in the new vehicle market (20.8 percent) as well as used cars and trucks (32.3 percent)Prices for household furnishings and operations were up 12.4 percent over the yearPrices for alcoholic beverages rose by 3.1 percentPrices for "apparel" rose by 2.3 percent See our interactive graphics on today's new Consumer Price Index data https://t.co/XG7TljXZ2E #CPI #BLSdata #DataViz— BLS-Labor Statistics (@BLS_gov) October 13, 2021 Nationwide, the CPI for all items increased by 0.4 percent in September. CPI for all items rises 0.4% in September; food, shelter among indexes rising https://t.co/MdFNWoD78N #CPI #BLSdata— BLS-Labor Statistics (@BLS_gov) October 13, 2021 However, the real average hourly earnings for all employees went up only 0.2 percent, officials noted. Real average hourly earnings for all employees increase 0.2% in September https://t.co/Tvvd21SZsa #RealEarnings #BLSdata— BLS-Labor Statistics (@BLS_gov) October 13, 2021