Region: Only groceries took bigger share of Sept. budgets.

Groceries are taking a bigger bite out of Philadelphia-area consumers' household budgets, according to consumer price data released yesterday.

Grocery prices rose 0.9 percent, or 11 percent at an annualized rate, between August and September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.

This is much faster than the full-year inflation rate of 3.1 percent for groceries, and seems to reflect the boom in commodity prices for items such as corn and wheat.

Inflation in other household items appeared tame for Philadelphia-area consumers.

Electricity prices rose 6.6 percent in the last year, but declined 0.7 percent between August and September.

Shelter prices rose 0.1 percent, or at an annualized rate of 1.2 percent, between August and September.

Gasoline prices fell 2.7 percent between August and September, but were 3.5 percent higher than they were in September 2006, the agency said.

A 1.5 percent drop in the energy index from August to September was the third consecutive monthly decline, leaving the energy index down 4.9 percent since June.

The Labor agency defines the region as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania; Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem Counties in New Jersey; New Castle County in Delaware; and Cecil County in Maryland.