Average US Heating Bills Projected to Rise 7% This Winter
Households that use heating oil could see increases of about 70 percent, which The New York Times and The Guardian attribute in part to reduced fuel supply tied to the war in Iran.
Average heating costs for American households are set to rise about 7 percent this winter, according to The New York Times. The paper, in a report by reporter Ivan Penn, said people who use heating oil will see increases of around 70 percent. It attributed that sharper rise to the war in Iran, which has greatly reduced the supply of that fuel.
The Guardian, in a report by Marina Dunbar, said average costs are projected to climb more than 7 percent nationwide, according to a new report. The Guardian said nearly 5 million households that rely on heating oil could see increases of 70 percent, and that some households could face increases of up to that level.
The two accounts differ in wording on the heating oil figure. The Times says those households will see increases of around 70 percent, while The Guardian says they could see increases of 70 percent. The difference concerns how certain the increase is, not the size of the figure cited in either report.
The Guardian also reported that advocates are calling on Congress to provide relief to households facing the higher bills. It described the projected increases as occurring amid a growing affordability crisis in the United States.
The Times and The Guardian both framed the winter increases as a national matter, with the Times reporting an average rise and The Guardian reporting a nationwide projection. The summaries available for this report do not describe how the averages were calculated or specify which households or regions are most affected beyond the heating oil users cited by each outlet.
Sources: The New York Times: Heating Costs Will Rise 7% on Average This Winter; The Guardian: Average US heating bills to rise 7% this winter nationwide - report.