Winter heating bills set to jump as inflation hits home
Source: AP
By STAN CHOE
NEW YORK (AP) Get ready to pay sharply higher bills for heating this winter, along with seemingly everything else.
With prices surging worldwide for heating oil, natural gas and other fuels, the U.S. government said Wednesday it expects households to see their heating bills jump as much as 54% compared to last winter.
Nearly half the homes in the U.S. use natural gas for heat, and they could pay an average $746 this winter, 30% more than a year ago. Those in the Midwest could get particularly pinched, with bills up an estimated 49%, and this could be the most expensive winter for natural-gas heated homes since 2008-2009.
The second-most used heating source for homes is electricity, making up 41% of the country, and those households could see a more modest 6% increase to $1,268. Homes using heating oil, which make up 4% of the country, could see a 43% increase more than $500 to $1,734. The sharpest increases are likely for homes that use propane, which account for 5% of U.S. households.
FILE - Amber Cox shovels snow from the porch roof at her home in Auburn, Maine, on March 8, 2018. With prices surging worldwide for heating oil, natural gas and other fuels, the U.S. government said Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021 it expects households to see jumps of up to 54% for their heating bills compared to last winter. (Daryn Slover/Sun Journal via AP)
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/business-prices-inflation-28e1231bdb445d482bb2d2e25dff1983
TheRealNorth
(9,481 posts)They are using their control of natural resources to fuck Democrats.
BobTheSubgenius
(11,563 posts)I never liked the oil furnace anyway, and had stopped using it. My good luck came in 3 parts - first, the house is easy to rewire, having both a crawlspace and an attic. Second, I have a friend in the business, and was able to get a screaming deal on the materials needed. Finally, I had the wherewithal to be able to do the work myself.
It took me about 2 days to fish #12 everywhere it was needed, and a few hours to connect thermostats and heaters. In the end, the project cost me just over $400.
Now, I have electric everything - heat, cooking, laundry and hot water. My power bill is annually-averaged, so I pay the same $104 a month 12 times a year. Every June, I get either a credit, or owe a little, depending on how many kwh I used.
OneCrazyDiamond
(2,032 posts)We have ungrounded circuits we want replaced, and are considering doing it our self.
BobTheSubgenius
(11,563 posts)We upgraded the service, but that wasn't done with an eye to doing the heaters. Some previous owner had built out a recess in the front and thus brought the old meter from outside to inside. My choices were move the meter outside, or do without electricity.
This is not strictly to code, but he would have claimed I was his employee, in the incredibly unlikely event this would be challenged. The contractor has an incredibly good reputation, so when an inspector leaves the office with a sheaf of inspections to do, a permit that my friend had pulled goes to the bottom of the list, in case the inspector doesn't have time to visit each one.
In the event, that's what happened, and once 24 hours has elapsed after the scheduled appointment time, there is no inspection. Weird, I know, but that's how it was. i hear that process has been revamped.
Oh, yeah. The inspection fee is rolled into the cost of the permit. I don't know how much it was, because everything was rolled into the $1200 that the new service cost me.
OneCrazyDiamond
(2,032 posts)thanks.
C Moon
(12,213 posts)He'd still be focused on himself, and where he could steal more money from the governmentor probably around the world by this time.
And they'd probably be working on adding putin's image on the 100 dollar bill and on Mount Rushmore.
Bayard
(22,073 posts)Except for built-in electric heaters in the bathroom and bedroom, that's our heat source. We still have a ton of dead walnut trees that need to come down too.
OneCrazyDiamond
(2,032 posts)Unless it is a modern stove: https://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/wood_burning_handbook.pdf
Bayard
(22,073 posts)But still want to upgrade to a catalytic one when budget permits.
OneCrazyDiamond
(2,032 posts)I have been to Oregon in November, and the valley were thick with pine smoke. It really was bad at times.
I wish ours was electric from 100% renewable, but we still have natural gas. Our weather is so mild, we rarely run heat, and have no cooling. That is one of the beach's benefits.
SKKY
(11,807 posts)...110 a month with no catch-up payment due at the end of 12 months. I did it for this very reason.
Random Boomer
(4,168 posts)I may want to rethink my retirement plans, too.
Vinca
(50,273 posts)and shiny one. They weren't leaking . . . yet. Oh well, it is what it is. Fortunately, we mostly use wood pellets and those are stacked up for the season out in the garage. Some things you can't stock up on when the price is low and now I'm afraid to even look at the price on the fuel company's site.