While heating prices have come down in recent months compared to their peak last year, Americans are still projected to spend nearly 30% more on utilities this winter than before the pandemic. But differences in fuels, prices, and climate create large regional variation in household utility expenditures, especially during the winter months.
To determine the states most impacted by rising heating costs this winter, researchers calculated the change in monthly household utility costs from winter 2019–2020 to winter 2023–2024, then ranked states accordingly.
These are the key takeaways from the report for Colorado:
- After remaining low since 2010, natural gas prices have risen nearly 27% since the winter of 2019–2020. Winter propane and heating oil prices also followed this trend, rising 23% and 39% during the same time period, respectively.
- Nationally, natural gas is the predominant heating fuel, used as the primary source in over 60 million homes (46% of the total). Electricity ranks as the second most common fuel for residential heating, serving as the primary source for approximately 54 million homes.
- Residents of Colorado—who primarily rely on natural gas to heat their homes—saw average household utility costs of $158 each month during the winter of 2019–2020.
- This winter, they’re projected to spend an average of $204 each month.
- Based on these projections, households in Colorado will experience a 29.0% increase in their utility bills this winter—the 13th largest among all U.S. states.
Geographical Differences in Primary Household Heating Fuels
Here is a link to the complete results of the analysis, with data on all 50 states. Feel free to republish or use the findings in your own write-up. If you choose to use the analysis, please link to the original report: https://upgradedpoints.com/news/states-impacted-rising-heating-costs/
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