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Consumers Favor Gas, Utilities Aid Low-Income Households

If you own a home the odds are that you heat and air condition with natural gas.

According to the American Gas Association, 70 percent of the new homes completed in 2000 were heated with gas, 27 percent relied on electric heat, and 3 percent used oil.

The association says gas is being used for more than heating as consumer demands evolve.

"Along with natural gas heating systems, savvy builders are also including natural gas fireplaces, barbecue grills, garage heaters and other amenities in new homes to meet consumer demand," said David Parker, AGA president and CEO.

Utilities, both electric and natural gas, provided significant assistance to low-income households who needed help paying their energy bills in 2000, the survey found. Utilities made available $380 million in the form of discounts, waivers, forgiveness of arrearages and weatherization programs. Another $51 million was directed to customers in need from fuel funds, often sponsored by utilities and administered by local charities.

Housing Starts Strongest In 20 Years

Housing starts rose 2.8 percent in February to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.77 million units, according to the Commerce Department.

The single-family segment of the market performed particularly well in February, rising 7.4 percent and reaching its fastest production pace in more than 20 years. Multifamily starts for apartments retreated 14.3 percent to an annual rate of 312,000 units, partially offsetting a substantial gain registered in January.

"These exceptionally strong numbers, combined with upwardly revised figures for January and December, are ample evidence that housing -- specifically residential fixed investment -- is helping pull the economy out of recession," said Gary Garczynski, president of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Building permits, which can be an indicator of future building activity, rose nearly 2 percent in February to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 1.75 million units.