U.S. consumers are expected to pay 10 percent more to warm their homes this winter, with the seasonal cost for all heating fuels averaging nearly $1,000, or $88 more, than last year, the government said Tuesday. Heating oil will be the most expensive fuel, followed by propane, natural gas, and electricity, the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) said in its annual winter forecast, which covers the October-through-March period. Government weather experts say this winter will be cooler than last year's but warmer than the average winter over the last 30 years. “Because of expected colder weather, U.S. heating-fuel consumption is projected to increase compared with last winter,” the EIA said. Heating-oil expenditures in the northeastern United States, the world's biggest heating-oil market, will be up 22 percent, the Energy Department's analytical branch said. Higher crude-oil prices will push residential heating-oil prices to a national average of $2.88 a gallon (3.8 liters) compared to $2.48 last winter. Propane users-mostly located in rural areas-will pay 16 percent more than last year. Propane will cost $2.28 a gallon, 26 cents more than last winter, EIA said. Households that use natural gas will pay nearly 10 percent more this winter. About 60 percent of U.S. households depend on natural gas as their heating fuel, and helping to keep those fuel prices contained will be high supply. U.S. natural-gas inventories at the start of the heating season on November 1 are expected to be slightly below last year's record level, EIA said. Electricity will be the cheapest home-heating fuel this winter, with costs 4 percent above last year, the EIA said.
