10 cities poised for upcoming heating cost savings

By John Roach, AccuWeather staff writer

WINTER WEATHER Updated Jan. 30, 2020 3:24 PM

To borrow from Game of Thrones, “Winter is coming.” 

But is it, really? 

Americans might be wondering about that considering it’s almost February and, as AccuWeather senior meteorologist Dave Samuel pointed out, "For most of the country, there really has not been much of a winter. In fact, we had one of the warmest Januarys in history across the country.”

The tepid winter so far along with AccuWeather’s forecast for what’s ahead mean people throughout the U.S. can expect to see substantial savings in home heating costs – those for natural gas, heating oil and electricity – compared to the 2018-19 season and also compared to the long-term normal. That’s based on the exclusive AccuWeather 90-day forecast, which is available at AccuWeather.com (search your city to view the monthly outlook); you can also keep apprised of your forecast on the free AccuWeather app.

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AccuWeather predicts residents in the following cities particularly will benefit based on the percentage change in savings from Sept. 1, 2018 to April 27, 2019 compared to Sept. 1, 2019 to April 27, 2020, based on AccuWeather’s forecast. There are also cost savings when comparing 2019-20 to each city’s long-term normal. (See highlights here and farther below, as well as the 12-city breakdown in the slideshow.) 

Estimated home heating costs on the ⬇️ for the following cities in 2019-20 compared to 2018-19 from 9/1-4/27, based on AccuWeather’s 90-day forecast.

Cincinnati: ⬇️ 6.9 percent
Dallas: ⬇️ 13.2 percent
Kansas City: ⬇️ 9.1 percent
Minneapolis: ⬇️ 7.1 percent

AccuWeather meteorologists predict seasonable winter weather will occur across most of the U.S. beginning in February. “There have been some changes over the past week which could be a sign that the pattern will be changing after Groundhog Day, meaning February and early March can still deliver plenty of cold and snow across the U.S.,” Samuhel said. 

The exception would be in the West, where it will be warmer over the next six weeks, so an early spring seems likely, noted Samuhel. 

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Here are the estimating heating costs for 12 U.S. cities.

The heating season runs from Sept. 1 through the following April or May. The actual costs of electricity and fuel vary from year to year and from place to place, so the percentage change in consumers’ bills may vary from these percentages, which assume other heating-related costs are largely unchanged year-over-year.  

A number of steps can be taken to keep heating costs under control in times of high demand. Some tips to follow this winter include, most simply, monitoring thermostat settings. In addition, homeowners can replace worn weather strips and ensure that heating equipment is well maintained to curb costs. Also, upgrading a home's insulation can lead to significant savings on energy costs.

Estimated home heating costs on the ⬇️ for the following cities in 2019-20 compared to the long-term normal from 9/1-4/27, based on AccuWeather’s 90-day forecast.

Boston: ⬇️ 10.1 percent
Cincinnati: ⬇️ 9.3 percent
Dallas: ⬇️ 9.2 percent
Los Angeles: ⬇️ 19.6 percent
San Francisco: ⬇️ 12.0 percent
Washington, D.C.: ⬇️ 9.5 percent

AccuWeather.com’s full U.S. spring forecast will be released Feb. 5, 2020.

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