NYC natural gas ban to drive heating prices higher: press

Analysis from the Reuters news service published December 15 finds a pending New York City decision to ban natural gas for new buildings could lead to major increases in heating bills.

The city council in New York is expected to vote in favour of a ban on new natural gas hook-ups. That means consumers in the largest city in the US by population will have to use electricity instead for heating.

Reuters estimated the average winter heating bill in the region is about $865 for natural gas customers and $1,538 to heat a building with electricity. The federal government states that the winter heating season runs from October through March.

"Using gas to produce power and then subsequently heat buildings is less efficient than using gas for heating directly," the news agency reported, citing analysis from energy consultancy EBW Analytics Group.

Federal data show more than 40% of the power generated in the state of New York comes from hydrocarbons. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio first raised the issue of a ban on new natural gas connections in his State of the City address in January.

Several other cities across the US have proposed similar restrictions on natural gas.