Winter heating costs expected to rise

• Marie Cusick
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  Marie Cusick was the Harrisburg reporter for StateImpact Pennsylvania.

The cost of heating a home with natural gas is expected to be 13 percent higher this year, compared to last year.
According to the federal Energy Information Administration, that’s about an $80 increase per household.
From the EIA:

EIA projects that average household expenditures for homes heating with natural gas will total $679 this winter, a 13% increase over last winter’s average but 4% below the average of the previous five years … Homes heating primarily with propane are expected to spend an average of $1,666 (9% more than last winter), while homes with electric heat are expected to spend $909 (2% more), and homes using heating oil are expected to spend $2,046 (2% less).

The price of natural gas rebounded earlier this year after hitting historic lows.
According to the state Public Utility Commission, about half of all Pennsylvania households use natural gas for heating, followed by electricity and oil.
 

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