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Canajun Finances Home » Electricity Prices Continue to Sizzle in July

Electricity Prices Continue to Sizzle in July

If you glance at the report from Stats Canada you will see the usual fairly good news in terms of the Consumer Price Index for July: (except for electricity prices)

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 1.3% in the 12 months to July, after increasing 1.5% in June.

This sounds heartening (having grown up in the days of inflation running at 11% or higher), but again, you have to peel the onion to get a better view of what is really happening.

Main contributors to the 12-month change in the CPI:

Main upward contributors:

  1. Purchase of passenger vehicles (+5.4%)
  2. Homeowner’s replacement cost (+3.6%)
  3. Electricity (+5.4%)
  4. Food purchased from restaurants (+2.7%)
  5. Air transportation (+7.1%)

Main downward contributors:

  1. Gasoline (-14.0%)
  2. Natural gas (-10.3%)
  3. Fuel oil (-13.4%)
  4. Mortgage interest cost (-0.7%)
  5. Children’s clothing (-4.1%)

So this data shows that Electricity (the alleged energy of the future) keeps going up in price, and Gasoline prices continue to obfuscate the Inflation data. In Ontario electrical rates are very high and will be going up

The 12-month change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the CPI excluding gasoline
The 12-month change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the CPI excluding gasoline

As you can see from the graphic, gasoline continues to skew the data badly. The interesting other things that are lowering the index is Mortgage Interest Costs, which won’t slow down the scorching hot summer Real Estate market in many cities.

Bank of Canada’s core index

The Bank of Canada’s core index increased 2.1% in the 12 months to July, matching the rise in June.

This is still in the zone where the bank may not take Interest Rate action, but note that the Bank’s rate is significantly higher than the Stats Canada rate.

Inflation in Canada by Category
Inflation by Category for July

Reports from the Past While.

If you want to have a walk down memory lane about how prices have gone up, here you go.

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