WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- Higher fuel prices and colder temperatures will combine to raise home heating costs by about 10 percent this winter, the U.S. Energy Department said Tuesday.
In a monthly report, the department said it expected temperatures in the contiguous 48 states to be about 4 percent colder than last year, but still be about 2 percent warmer than the long-term average, MarketWatch reported.
Prices for all common fuels are expected to be higher than last year, the Energy Department said.
For 103 million households, heating bills are expected to average $977 for the six-month heating season, compared with $889 last year.
The agency said households in the Northeast would be hardest hit, in part because about a third of the homes in that region are heated with heating oil, the most expensive fuel. In addition, the Northeast pays the highest prices for natural gas, propane and electricity.
Fuel expenditures for individual households depend on local weather conditions, local markets, the size and efficiency of homes, as well as heating equipment and thermostat settings, the government agency said.
