Detroit and Flint among the top 10 most expensive cities in the country to heat a home this winter

Flint, Michigan – A recent study by HVAC Gnome places Flint as the fourth priciest city in the U.S. for heating homes this winter. Flint overall score was 70.77 points. Detroit is also on the top of the list ranking on the 10^th position with 65.72 points.

As winter gets colder, residents might not notice a big difference in warmth.

The property is the main contributor when it comes to energy cost

According to Consumers Energy spokesperson Brian Wheeler, the energy cost in most cases is owner’s fault since in each house’s design, age and numerous other factors directly contribute to the final energy cost. It’s easy to blame rising heating costs on inflation, but the real reason might be your home.

“A lot of times we see in communities, older homes, maybe homes with drafts or other issues in them that have not been upgraded over time and so less efficient homes require more energy,” said Wheeler.

Flint ranks fourth on the list due to high number of old houses

HVAC Gnome, an internet-based service for HVAC needs, evaluated heating costs in 500 big cities across the country. They used factors like the typical size of homes to decide their rankings.

Flint ranks high among major U.S. cities for having a lot of old houses. But this year, owning a larger home may not be too costly for homeowners.

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“The good news is that the cost of natural gas this winter is significantly lower than it was last year,” said Wheeler. “We were seeing higher costs because of some global factors. The war overseas with Ukraine and Russia was causing natural gas prices to be higher. Conditions have changed and the prices have come back down.”

This month, the energy company’s natural gas rates for homes are less than half compared to January 2023, as per the company. Even though heating costs have decreased, there are ways to further lower your heating bill.

Wheeler provided some tips that might actually help to warm your house and save on energy. He suggests that everyone should make sure that the warm air is moving through the house and no one should block the vents. He then suggested make sure that all windows and doors are properly sealed to prevent the cold air get inside the residence.

Regular furnace maintenance each winter is important. Adjusting your thermostat down by one degree can reduce your bill by 1-3%.

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“So, sometimes it’s a combination of small things that you do that can add up to a big difference,” said Wheeler.

Consumers can also contact Consumers Energy for a home energy assessment. There are programs and offers available that can help reduce your heating expenses.

2023’s Most Expensive Cities to Heat a Home in Winter

You can find the full list with 500 cities here.