Dramatic increases in domestic energy costs, assisted by everything from tight world oil markets, to blistering summer heat, to the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, have made for an exasperating summer for many consumers and have set the stage for a potentially expensive winter heating season, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA).
The current outlook for the upcoming winter (October 2005 through March 2006) is bleak, with expected heating fuel expenditure increases of 69 percent to 77 percent for natural gas in the Midwest; 17 percent to 18 percent for electricity in the South; 29 percent to 33 percent for heating oil in the Northeast; and 39 percent to 43 percent for propane in the Midwest.