Government Predicts Winter Energy Costs



On October 8th, 2013 the Government made the forecast that prices for natural gas, electricity and propane should be higher, the primary reason that more than ninety percent of U.S. homes will incur higher heating expenses.

Natural gas users will see the biggest percentage increase after two years of historically low prices. Their heating bills should rise to an average of $679, the Energy Department said in its outlook for heating costs for the season running from October through March. That is about thirteen percent higher than a year ago, but still four percent below the average for the previous five winters.

Homes relying on electricity for heat, about thirty-eight percent of the U.S., will likely pay about two percent more compared with last year.

Not that heating oil is used here in the Valley of the Sun, but, overall for heating oil customers, there is good news and bad. Their average bill should drop two percent. But they'll still pay an average of $2,046 for the season, the second highest on record behind last year's $2,092.

The best way to mitigate the price increases is to make sure that your heating is system is running at its most efficient.  The way to do that is to have Aaron’s Mechanical Service to a tune-up on your heating system.

Just over fifty percent of U.S. households use natural gas for heating. Many of the thirty-eight percent of U.S. households that use electric heat live in warm regions where heating demand is not high. Only six percent use heating oil, but those homes tend to be in New England and New York, where winter heating needs are high.

The Energy Department expects temperatures in the Northeast to be about 3 percent colder than a year ago, resulting in a 3 percent increase in consumption of heating oil. Bills will be lower, however, because the average price for heating oil will drop to $3.68 a gallon from $3.87. About 25 percent of homeowners in the Northeast use oil for heat.

But the government cautions that if temperatures are about ten percent below expectations nationally, heating oil costs could rise around nine percent from a year ago. That would mean an average bill of $2.280, which will be a record.

The efficiency of your heating system and how warm you keep your home will determine how much you spend on energy this winter.  We can help you save money – it all starts with a simple phone call.

At Aaron’s Mechanical Service we want you to stay comfortable all year round.  If your furnace needs service or replacement please think of us and call at 623-388-4436 and we will come to you and solve your HVAC system service needs.

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Aaron’s Mechanical Service
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