U.S. Households Face Biggest Surge in Electricity Costs Since 2009
- Utility-piped gas prices jump 28% in biggest move since 2008
- Much more expensive winter ahead to heat homes, NEADA says
Photographer: John Moore/Getty Images
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U.S. consumers faced the biggest jump in their energy bills in more than a decade last month, with costs soaring for electricity, natural gas and fuel oil as cooler weather approaches.
The price of electricity in October increased 6.5% from the same month a year ago while consumer expenses paid to utilities for gas went up 28%, according to numbers released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Fuel oil rose 59%, and costs for propane, kerosene and firewood jumped by about 35%, the data show.