Heating bills are going up this winter.

For Marketplace, I'm Novosafo, in for David Brancaccio.

We got some good news on the inflation front on Friday, cold in January, according to the Consumer Price Index, which registered a 2.4% annual gain, lower than expected.

But certain prices are still rising faster than the overall

measure, including utilities. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association forecasts

heating costs will average about $1,000 this winter up significantly from last year. Marketplace's

Samantha Fields has more. It has been absolutely frigid in much of the country this winter, including in places that are not used to it.

We had freezing temperatures all the way into southern Florida this winter.

Those types of conditions make a difference in people's bills and their ability to pay those bills.

Katrina Metzler at the National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition says lots of low-income

households struggle to afford heat every year.

But this winter is worse, both because of the weather and because electricity and natural

gas prices are higher.

I consider myself a middle-income household, and I've struggled this winter in Virginia with paying my utility bills.

I've seen those same price increases that everyone has seen.

About one in six households is currently behind on their utility bills, says Mark Wolfe at the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.

It's like everything is going wrong.

You have higher prices, colder winter, and people need to buy more of an expensive product.

And when utility bills go up, he says people are just stuck.

With electricity, for example, you can't say, gee, I'll go down the street and buy a different

brand of electricity.

You can't shop around.

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