Americans  are already reeling from the pain at the pump as gasoline costs remain  high across the nation. This summer's drought is already starting to  drain the wallet when going to the grocery store. The impact has yet to  reach its zenith on food prices.

Now  Americans are being told to get ready for another shock to the  pocketbook. The cost of heating this winter is expected to increase  dramatically. Americans are already choosing between food and medicine,  but now it will be a case of warmth or groceries and medicine.

Forecasters  are calling for a much colder winter this year. Forget the non-winter  we had last year. Forget the higher costs to keep us cool as record  temperatures hit across the heartland. Get out the calculator now and  figure what you can cut from the budget to pay that heating bill.

As US News informs us:

Heating  costs will rise about 20 percent for heating oil users, 15 percent for  natural gas customers, 13 percent for propane customers, and 5 percent  for electricity customers, according to the Energy Information  Administration.

"The forecast for higher household expenditures  primarily reflects a return to roughly normal winter temperatures east  of the Rocky Mountains compared with last winter's unusual warmth," the  EIA report noted.

Heating oil consumers are expected to pay  $3.80 per gallon on average—the highest price ever—which will drive  heating bills for those consumers to a record high of about $2,500 on  average.

Those who use natural gas, propane or electricity to  heat their homes might see slightly higher costs based on increased  usage, but they'll still likely see lower bills than they would in a  typical winter due to relatively low prices. Natural gas prices have  fallen to record lows thanks to a windfall in production in the U.S. in  recent years. While prices are expected to increase almost 1 percent  this year, they're still at virtually rock-bottom levels. Propane gas  and electricity prices are projected to fall 2 percent and 4 percent  respectively, which will help ease the cost burden of more heating  demand this winter.

"It's two different worlds," Mark Wolfe,  executive director of the National Energy Assistance Director's  Association, told the Associated Press. "For most families this is still  going to be an affordable year, except for those who use oil heat. For  them, it's going to be very difficult."

Only about 6 percent of  American households use heating oil, according to the EIA, but those  homes tend to be in some of the coldest regions in the country. About  half of the nation's households use natural gas for heating, 38 percent  use electricity, and 5 percent use propane.

But according to  EIA spokesman Jonathan Cogan, there's still a lot of uncertainty that  could impact heating costs in both directions, especially when it comes  to heating oil.

"There are two big uncertainties: what happens with the weather and what happens with world crude oil markets," he says.

If the weather is milder than NOAA projects, consumers could see much  flatter increases in heating costs. If the weather is more severe, cost  increases could be much more acute, Cogan says.

Because it's  made from crude oil, heating oil costs will increase if crude oil prices  increase. Crude oil prices are still high by historical standards, but  how the winter weather plays out will be the bigger driver. If the  weather is colder, consumption and demand for heating oil will increase,  which would put further upward pressure on prices, Cogan says.

http://usnews.com/news/articles/2012/10/11/chilly-winter-forecast-means-higher-heating-bills-for-consumers

From  the Cornfield, the best Americans can hope for is another mild winter,  but I'm not betting the farm on that. I am just glad my utility costs  are included in my rent. Hopefully, the increasing costs of home energy  does not lead to a raise in my rent.