Here's a piece from USA Today that says this winter's heating costs are going to be below the outrageous original estimates:
Warmer-than-normal weather has greatly reduced the sticker shock for this year's winter heating bills, the government said Tuesday.
Homeowners on average will pay 17% more to heat their homes this year than last season, the Energy Department estimated. Although that would still be the biggest increase in three years, the new heating bill estimate was down significantly from a 25% jump predicted in January and just over half the gain forecast at the start of the six-month heating season in October.
Wow, I never thought I'd be happy with "only" a 17% increase. I guess that's what our world has come to concerning energy costs.
Unfortunately, the 17% is just an average. My home is heated with gas (and I live in Michigan -- which I believe is Eskimo for "coldest place on the earth") which means I don't get by with a measly 17% increase:
Users of natural gas, which heats 57% of U.S. homes, will still see the biggest jump in their bills this season. Natural gas users are expected to pay an average of $920 this winter, up 24% from last season. But that's down from a 35% jump projected in January and a 48% gain estimated in October.
Isn't that the story of my life. ;-)
As I posted previously, my heating costs for December 2005 and January 2006 were $643.73 for 460 CCFs. Last year, I paid $447.73 for 497 CCFs. In other words, I paid 44% more for 8% less fuel. Yikes!
If you'd like more tips to save on your heating costs, see these links:
Good job reducing your usage by 8%. I've done a lot of weatherproofing this year, and I'm not sure how it's effecting my bill (I'll have to check) but it sure is making the house feel warmer.
Posted by: claire | February 22, 2006 at 05:53 PM