Heating season data so far this year shows heightened costs for propane and heating oil across the U.S. Moving into cooler and cold weather, is there one best option to heat your home and save you money?
Here's a look at what the U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts for the 2026-2027 heating season, including cost predictions for common heating methods.
What home heating method will jump the most in price this year?
While the EIA reports that only about 3% of U.S. households use heating oil as their primary heating source, the price on average is expected to jump 21% this winter compared to last for heating oil expenditures.
In dollar amounts, the EIA is charting a U.S. average of $2,115 spent November 2026 through March 2027.
Residential heating oil costs are expected to increase despite a predicted
9% decrease in usage reported by the EIA.
Also important to acknowledge is the EIA's Winter Fuels Outlook for heating's oil's price-per-gallon cost, which is expected to rise an average of 34% from last year over the U.S. heating season.
What home heating method costs the least on average?
Based on the EIA's forecast data, the lowest U.S. average expenditures for primary heating fuel belonged to natural gas at $640 from November 2026 through March 2027, an anticipated 9% decline from the year previous.
The EIA reports that almost 61 million households use natural gas as a primary heating fuel, followed closely by 57.8 million using electricity.
Could I save money by changing my heating methods?
Before you decide to make the jump between primary heating methods, you need to consider what factors impact the cost of heating, like weather, location and industry supply.
The EIA warns of this directly: "Readers should not assume that switching to another fuel with lower energy expenditures—as presented in this report—would necessarily result in lower expenditures for their household."
First, you should double check your house for energy efficiency like proper insulation and airtightness and understand the cost and demand impacts of your chosen heating methods.
Kaitlyn McCormick is a Philadelphia-based reporter writing all things cost of living related for USA TODAY.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will my heat bill be more this winter? It depends on what you use
