ICYMI: NPR: Forecast Says Families Will Spend More to Heat Their Homes This Winter

American families could face more than $700 in additional heating costs compared to before Trump’s war of choice in Iran

Washington, DC – As the days get shorter and the temperatures drop, Americans could be paying more to keep their homes warm this winter. Trump’s war of choice in Iran has sent the price of diesel above $6 per gallon for the first time ever, spiking the cost of heating oil by 30% in some parts of the country. Electric heating prices have also increased as Trump and Republicans take affordable, reliable clean energy options off the grid while demand from data centers skyrockets. To make matters worse, Trump has tried to eliminate the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) six times, threatening to end a critical lifeline for Americans who are already struggling with utility bills that have skyrocketed thanks to his reckless energy policies. 

With less than 50 days until the midterm elections, Republicans have desperately tried to convince Americans that they suddenly care about energy affordability. In reality, House Republicans voted to give Trump $95 billion more to fund the very war that is increasing costs for their own constituents.  

NPR: Forecast says families will spend more to heat their homes this winter

The cost of staying warm this winter could give some people the chills. A new forecast says the average family will spend more than a thousand dollars to heat their homes through the winter. In some parts of the country, winter heating bills could be more than twice that high. The news comes on the heels of what was already a costly summer for air conditioning… 

Heating oil is a close cousin of diesel fuel. And, of course, we’ve been talking about diesel prices soaring to record highs. AAA says the average price of diesel today is $6.23 a gallon. And as a result, Wolfe says customers who rely on heating oil could see their bills jump more than 30% this winter…

It’s toughest on those families that can least afford it. You know, people in the bottom fifth of the income ladder typically spend almost 10% of their income on utility bills. So any increase can be really challenging. The federal government does offer some assistance to help low-income families with their heating bills. But Wolfe says the funding for that program has been basically flat for the last three years. And as the heating price goes up, the help just doesn’t stretch as far as it used to…