The heating bills of US households are expected to increase by an average of 7.1% this winter.
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 12 (Xinhua) Due to high and fluctuating fuel prices, the US National Energy Assistance Council recently predicted that American households will pay more for heating this coming winter, with an average increase of 7.1% year-on-year, and the number of households using oil for heating may increase by more than 70%.
Agence France-Presse reported on the 11th that the National Energy Assistance Council estimated that the average heating bill for American households this winter would be $1,002, an increase of 7.1% from the previous winter.
If oil is used for heating, the average price reaches US$2,977, an increase of 70.2% from year to year. This increase will far exceed that of electric heating and propane heating, which are expected to increase household expenses by 6% and 5% respectively from year to year.
This is an oil refinery taken in New York, USA on August 24. Photo by Xinhua news agency reporter Zhang Fenggu.
Homes in the northeastern United States use more heating oil for heating in the winter. Agence France-Presse said rising heating costs would increase pressure on living costs.
Mark Wolff, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Council, said: "The situation in the Strait of Hormuz remains volatile and uncertainty about global oil supply continues, making it difficult to predict price movements." Although home heating oil prices in the US have fallen recently, consumers "should not assume that prices will continue to fall."
Wolff added that "it is prudent to assume" that heating oil prices "will remain at high levels" throughout the winter.
Agence France-Presse said the price difference between heating oil and other energy sources such as electricity and propane reflects the impact on refining capacity. According to industry estimates, about 10% of the world's refining capacity remains offline, partly due to the closing of refineries or limited activity of plants due to unrest in the Strait of Hormuz. In addition, oil refineries were attacked in the Middle East and Russia.