Heating bills expected to be higher this winter

Residents in Indiana and the rest of the U.S. are likely to see higher heating bills this winter. That’s according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

This winter is expected to be colder than last year and people will be using more natural gas for heat.

Natural gas prices are up right now because of increased demand due to the war in Ukraine and less production. There’s also less natural gas in storage than usual because of the need for heat this January.

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The EIA forecasts that Midwesterners will spend nearly 33 percent more on natural gas, 8 percent more on electricity, and 5 percent more on propane compared to last winter.

Several electric utilities that rely on natural gas plants have already asked the state to temporarily raise rates because of fuel costs.

Contact reporter Rebecca Thiele at rthiele@iu.edu or follow her on Twitter at @beckythiele.