Keeping warm this winter will cost Iowans and others in the Midwest as much as 20% more than last year, given not just the frigid weather but an expected spike in natural gas and electricity costs, projections from a national group says.
Just how much Iowans’ heating bills may rise depends on what’s powering families’ furnaces: Electricity users are projected to see a 19.7% hike this winter, and for those with natural gas, it’s expected to be 16.4%, according to a report from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. The Washington, D.C., group lobbies federal officials to support energy assistance for low-income consumers.
Propane, mostly used by rural residents, will see the smallest increase, at 0.4%…