Heating Season

October 28, 2009

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Profile America — Wednesday, October 28th. Against the backdrop of rising concern about the cost of energy, most homeowners across the nation are anxiously watching the dropping temperatures as fall advances. They will also be closely watching the settings of their thermostats. Most homes in the U.S. have central heating, and six-out-of-10 have a warm-air furnace. By far the most popular heating fuel is gas — either piped in or bottled — which heats nearly 60 percent of the nation’s homes. About one-third use electricity. Fuel oil is used to heat just 9 percent of U.S. homes. And coal and wood, which used to heat a majority of houses, now provide warmth to under 2 percent. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Statistical Abstract of the United States 2009, t. 958
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2009edition.html