Brad Welberg says heating and cooling his Minnetonka home can sometimes mean large monthly bills. "It's a very big item," Welberg said. "We spend up to $125 on heating."
That's why every fall he calls Brad Von Ruden of Air Quality Systems, who does a 16 point check on the Welberg's furnace, making sure it's efficient so the Welberg's budget will be, too.
"The furnace is the number one energy user in the house," Von Ruden said. "And if you keep that maintained, it will reduce your overall gas bill."
Those bills this year may be lower than the Welbergs and other Americans expect. The Energy Information Administration today says lower fuel costs and an expected milder winter will cut average winter heating costs by 8% from last year, saving the typical household about $100.
And those who use natural gas will see the biggest savings: about $280 this season.
"To see the recession in the oil prices was a comfort to us," Welberg said. "We might even save money this year."
And that's not all. Many Americans have already saved money thanks to a cool summer. Xcel Energy says its statewide electric usage was down 10 percent from May to September as Minnesotans used less air conditioning.
"It's a pretty substantial savings," said Xcel Energy Spokesperson Tom Hoen. "The whole month of July was unseasonably cool, and then on top of it what they're expecting for this winter, people are seeing 20 percent lower heating bills. I haven't seen a full year (like this)."
And natural gas prices like this have also not been seen, down 10, 20 even 30 percent in some cases this winter thanks to a great supply. With those record rates combined with good maintenance, experts say Americans could use less energy and have more money.
"Being preemptive is a good thing instead of being caught behind the 8 ball and going with whoever can get there the fastest," Von Ruden said. "That's 100 or 150 dollars a year you can use for other items," said Welberg.
(Copyright 2009 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)
