These 9 cities are saving big-time on heating costs this winter

Money dollar bills
Money dollar bills

Estimated heating costs have substantially decreased year-over-year in many U.S. cities so far this heating season. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

The brief Arctic outbreak this week in the Midwest and Northeast that brought temperatures near 30 degrees Fahrenheit below zero in northern Minnesota, for instance, was an aberration for a winter that has been warmer than normal.

Since the beginning of 2020, temperatures have averaged nearly 8 degrees above normal in Boston, more than 6 degrees above normal in Philadelphia and New York City and about 5 degrees above normal in Chicago and Detroit.

For the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, this February so far is a stark contrast to the first three weeks of February 2019. The area’s average temperature was 6 degrees colder than 2020, and there were seven days of sub-zero daily low temperatures from Feb. 1-19 compared to just three this year. Last year’s snow was even more remarkable, with Minneapolis-St. Paul setting a record for February snowfall (39.0 inches) that was almost 50 percent higher than the previous record (26.5). Normal snowfall for February is 7.7 inches; the area has received 7.5 inches so far this year.

It’s no surprise, then, that Minneapolis-St. Paul residents are expected to save 12.5 percent on home heating costs in the 2019-20 heating season compared to last year (see chart). AccuWeather predicts savings on home heating costs – for natural gas, heating oil and electricity – for area residents and others across the country should continue into May. 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.

Residents in the following cities particularly will benefit based on the percentage change in savings from Sept. 1, 2018, to May 19, 2019, compared to Sept. 1, 2019, to May 19, 2020. There are also cost savings when comparing 2019-20 to each city’s long-term average temperatures. (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 9/1-5/19, based on AccuWeather’s 90-day forecast. All of the percentages for this story assume no change in heating-related costs year-over-year; since most energy prices are lower than last year, most people will experience even greater savings in their heating costs.     

Minneapolis-St. Paul: ⬇️ 12.5 percent
Kansas City: ⬇️ 9.9 percent
Dallas: ⬇️ 9.6 percent
Chicago: ⬇️ 7.3 percent
Cincinnati: ⬇️ 6.5 percent

Looking farther ahead, the next storm that is forecast to roll eastward will bring rain to the Ohio Valley Monday and the mid-Atlantic and southern New England on Tuesday. The air may be chilly enough to support a wintry mix and even some snow for a time over the northern tier of the Midwest and Northeast.

It is possible that colder air, which is forecast to follow a second major storm next week, could pave the way for a wintry precipitation event along the Atlantic coast during the first week of March.

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.

Estimated home heating costs on the ⬇️ for the following cities in 2019-20 compared to the long-term average temperatures from 9/1-5/19, based on AccuWeather’s 90-day forecast.

Los Angeles: ⬇️ 26.4 percent
San Francisco: ⬇️ 14.6 percent
Washington, D.C.: ⬇️ 12.5 percent
Boston: ⬇️ 11.1 percent
Cincinnati: ⬇️ 9.4 percent

There are a number of ways to keep heating costs lower in times of high demand. One suggested tip to follow this winter includes, obviously, monitoring thermostat settings. Homeowners also can replace worn weather strips and check to make sure that heating equipment is well maintained to curb costs. Upgrading a home’s insulation can lead to significant savings on energy costs as well.

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

source: yahoo.com