TOUGH WINTER IN 2003

Kiplinger's Personal

Finance

Long-term weather predictionstend to be unreliable, but forecastsfor higher heating costs this wintershould be a consideration for yourbudget. According to , the possible war in Iraqand a slumping economy could addup to a spike in energy costs this winter.If you heat with natural gas, forexample, as more than half of allAmericans do, expect your monthlybill to climb by about 20%. If you useoil heat, expect to pay about 45%more than last year. To get a handleon your home energy costs and pickup some energy saving tips, visitwww.energyguide.com.