Spread over the six-month heating season from November through April, customers can expect an overall increase of 50 percent to 60 percent from last year, according to Joan Hairston, a spokeswoman for Washington Gas. The increases have wide impact because about half of all households nationwide heat with natural gas, and more than 70 percent of all new single-family homes are equipped with natural gas, according to the American Gas Association. The spiraling prices have some consumers thinking about upgrading old equipment or switching fuels altogether. The middle of a snowy heating season isn't the ideal time to replace a furnace, but if your bills are pushing you in that direction, consider your options in fuels and furnaces before you make the decision. When it comes to fuel, one may cost more than another, but that doesn't mean it's inherently more efficient in every situation.
Oil companies say oil is best.
Gas companies say gas is best. Power companies say electricity is better than either of them. But often it doesn't pay to switch. The main confusion about fuels is the claim that electricity is 100 percent efficient. After power is delivered from the utility plant, an electrically powered furnace does use it at close to 100 percent efficiency because there is no combustion and no escaping exhaust.