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Heating your home will cost more again this winter

·2 mins

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Home Heating Costs Expected to Rise This Winter #

Home heating expenses in the US are projected to increase by an average of 10.5% this winter, partly due to colder temperatures forecast for the Northeast and Midwest.

Breakdown by Heating Source #

  • Electric heating users will face the steepest increase, with costs expected to rise 13.6% to $1,208 for the winter season. The expense of maintaining and upgrading the electric grid is a significant factor, especially in the West, where fires have damaged infrastructure. In this region, electric heating costs could surge by nearly 23%.

  • Propane users can expect a 7.3% increase, bringing costs to $1,442 this winter.

  • Natural gas users will see a 7.2% rise, with costs reaching $644. Prices are expected to increase over the winter as US exports grow.

  • Oil users will experience a relatively modest 6.1% increase, with costs rising to $1,963. This smaller increase is due to a weak oil market leading to lower prices.

Climate Change and Winter Temperatures #

Despite perceptions that climate change would lead to warmer winters, extreme cold can still occur even as winters warm overall, according to scientific observations.

Increasing Financial Strain #

A growing number of households are struggling with utility bills:

  • In June, 21 million households owed a total of $13.5 billion on electric bills, up from 20.4 million owing $12.5 billion a year earlier.

  • For natural gas, the total amount owed decreased to $6.1 billion in June, down from $7.4 billion a year earlier. However, the number of households in arrears increased to 17.4 million, up from 15.2 million.

  • Utility shutoffs are projected to have increased to 3.8 million households in the past fiscal year, up from 3.5 million the previous year.

Reduced Assistance #

Part of the reason for increased struggles is reduced federal assistance. Funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) decreased to $4.1 billion in the past fiscal year, down from $6 billion the prior year.

Advocates are calling for increased funding of $6.1 billion for the coming fiscal year, plus an additional $1 billion for emergency assistance, to support families struggling with monthly utility payments.