A result of both higher retail prices and higher forecast consumption, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects U.S. households to spend more on energy this winter compared with the 2021-22 heating season, with the largest increase for homes that heat with natural gas.

The agency’s latest Winter Fuels Outlook, included in its updated Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) Wednesday, predicted a 28% year/year increase in winter expenditures for homes that heat with natural gas. 

Household expenditures for natural gas could climb to 51% above year-earlier levels for October through March in a scenario where temperatures are 10% colder than baseline expectations, the agency said. Projected cost increases for natural gas are the largest among the household heating sources...