Ohio among few states expected to have higher heating bills this winter, study finds
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio residents are expected to experience an increase in their heating bills this winter, while a majority of the country is projected to see prices remain the same or drop.
Most households in the United States should plan to “spend about the same or less on energy than they did last winter,” the Energy Information Administration predicted in its annual report.
The price drop for most is attributed to the fact that natural gas inventories entered the winter above average, and some parts of the country, such as the West, are expecting a warmer winter than last year.
MoneyGeek, a financial guidance company, analyzed the Energy Information Administration’s report to find which states are expected to experience lower – and higher — natural gas bills this winter compared to last.
While most states across the country, including California, Colorado, Arkansas and West Virginia, are expecting to see their heating bills drop, Ohio is the state that will see the third-largest increase. Heating bills in the Buckeye state are expected to see an estimated extra $11.23 monthly compared with last year.
Michigan, with a projected increase of $13.34 on monthly heating bills, and Missouri (+$13.13) are the only states predicted to experience a higher increase than Ohio.
Most states with a projected increase are located in the Midwest. The higher prices in this region are driven by colder weather this winter, compared to a record-setting mild winter last year that reduced natural gas consumption.
The states expected to save the most money this winter compared to last are Alaska, with residents expected to see $9.84 off their heating bills compared to last year, Utah (-$8.50) and Washington (-$7.60).