The price of heating your home is expected to cool
May 27, 2010
How much can you expect to pay for heating fuel costs this winter? On average, 8% less than last year, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The average heating bill for U.S. households will be $960 from October 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010 – about $84 less than last year, the EIA reports. The main cause of cheaper heating costs: lower energy prices. Other reasons: a warmer winter (expected to be 1% warmer than last year) and lower fuel use for some consumers. You’ll enjoy the steepest drop in price if you use natural gas (about 12% less – a $105 savings) or propane (about 14% less – a $280 savings). About 52% of U.S. homes are heated by natural gas and 6% by propane.
If you heat by heating oil, you can expect to pay about 2% less and save $40. If you use electricity, you can also expect to pay about 2% less and save $20 this year. What a difference from last year – when heating costs rose to record levels and consumers paid
10.5% more than they did the previous winter.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal and USA Today
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