In the northeast, consumers paid 8.6 percent less for electricity in February than they did a year ago, in February 2015. That's almost a 10 percent price cut. 

In the south, consumers paid 3.8 percent less than a year ago. That's a sizable cut too, though not as extraordinary as what northeasterners have enjoyed.

In the Midwest, consumers paid 0.5 percent more than they did a year ago. Roughly equal to increase in the overall consumer price index for the region. There, the dramatic fall in natural gas prices had less of a benefit. 

Did you hear about March 16's Labor Dept. report of the Consumer Price Index? The CPI rose one percent in February 2016, from February 2015. So?

You may not have heard much about the numbers behind the CPI report. You may not have heard that the average price American consumers pay for electric utility service (electric rates) dropped three percent. 

And what consumers pay for natural gas utility service dropped ten percent. This is big news. Electric and gas utility service is becoming cheaper before our eyes. 

Residential electric rates haven't decreased year-over-year since 2002 (US average). But the Energy Department forecasts a decrease in 2016.

The forecast was in the Short-Term Energy Outlook that came out last week. 

It does project that rates will increase in 2017. The agency expects natural gas prices to rebound and rise in 2017, driving electric rates up with them. 

The decrease in residential rates this year will be only the fifth time that the year-over year US average has fallen since 1990. Three of the five times were in the late 1990's.