Map of the Week: Heating Minnesota

With temperatures outside dipping last week, thermostats inside homes were undoubtedly turned up. Unlike last winter, this winter’s heating costs are expected to rise. The Minnesota Energy Department and several other agencies and organizations have predicted that heating costs this year will not only reach normal levels, but may even exceed them. The estimated rise, of course, depends on lower temperatures this winter, but also on the heating fuel source and its associated cost. The Energy Department’s figures indicate that homeowners who use oil as their heat fuel source could see a 20 percent increase, a 15 percent increase for homes using natural gas, 13 percent for propane and 5 percent for electricity. But which one of these fuel sources is used in Minnesota?

According the 2006-2011 estimates derived from the American Community Survey (US Census Bureau), Minnesota’s primary heating fuel source is gas (this includes natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas) followed by electricity. According to the 2011 data, coal as a heating fuel source has become largely obsolete, though a few counties still minimally use coal to heat residential spaces. The distribution of these sources varies greatly throughout the state.

This interactive map shows Minnesotan counties throughout the state and their residential usage of gas, electricity, oil, and wood as a heat fuel source. Clicking on each county will bring up a percentage breakdown of the different heating fuel sources for that particular county.

With temperatures outside dipping last week, thermostats inside homes were undoubtedly turned up. Unlike last winter, this winter’s heating costs are expected to rise. The Minnesota Energy Department and several other agencies and organizations have predicted that heating costs this year will not only reach normal levels, but may even exceed them. The estimated rise, of course, depends on lower temperatures this winter, but also on the heating fuel source and its associated cost. The Energy Department’s figures indicate that homeowners who use oil as their heat fuel source could see a 20 percent increase, a 15 percent increase for homes using natural gas, 13 percent for propane and 5 percent for electricity. But which one of these fuel sources is used in Minnesota?

According the 2006-2011 estimates derived from the American Community Survey (US Census Bureau), Minnesota’s primary heating fuel source is gas (this includes natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas) followed by electricity. According to the 2011 data, coal as a heating fuel source has become largely obsolete, though a few counties still minimally use coal to heat residential spaces. The distribution of these sources varies greatly throughout the state.

This interactive map shows Minnesotan counties throughout the state and their residential usage of gas, electricity, oil, and wood as a heat fuel source. Clicking on each county will bring up a percentage breakdown of the different heating fuel sources for that particular county.