Homeowners saving on heating costs - WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports

Eau Claire (WQOW) - As you turn up the furnace to stay warm, here's a silver lining: So far this winter, most homeowners have been saving money on their heating bills compared to a year ago.

Xcel Energy says the average bill is down 21-percent from last year. The mild weather we had in November and December were big factors. Here's another factor: Our sand. Natural gas supplies are way up, driven largely by fracking. That's the drilling technique that has allowed energy companies to reach supplies of natural gas they couldn't before.

Western Wisconsin sand is the kind energy companies want to use for fracking. So with a high supply of natural gas and demand dropping a little, prices have been dropping, which means you're paying less.