Natural Gas Affordability – Your Top Questions Answered
From heating homes in winter to fueling neighborhood restaurants, hospitals and schools, natural gas helps keep costs low for businesses and saves families money. Natural gas is one of the most affordable ways to fuel homes and businesses across the United States.
Recent media coverage shows that among the most bitter winters and extreme weather, natural gas utilities are delivering on their commitment to fueling families and communities safely, reliably, and affordably:
“Natural gas expenditures make up just 1.1% of all annual household expenses for the average American household, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Energy Information Administration. The average family will pay $867 a year for natural gas, three times less than what they’ll need to budget for gasoline ($2,449), half of expected electricity bills ($1,763), and less than cell phone service ($1,270).“
WTOP, October 28, 2025
We’ve tackled some of the frequently asked questions on natural gas affordability for you here – read on to learn more.
What makes natural gas affordable?
Natural gas is affordable because the United States has an abundant domestic supply, an extensive delivery system and decades of infrastructure investment that help keep costs stable for customers.
How much money can families save with natural gas?
Savings for families add up significantly over time.
American families have saved $99 billion over the past decade thanks to the low cost of natural gas. These savings come from lower costs for home heating, cooking and clothes drying – all routine tasks that every family deals with each and every week.
Why do consumers prefer natural gas?
Affordability and reliability are major reasons consumers continue choosing natural gas:
- More than 189 million Americans and 5.8 million businesses use natural gas every day.
- Nearly 7 in 10 adults using natural gas in their homes are confident that their natural gas service and systems can withstand a severe weather event.
- 77% of adults trust their natural gas utility to provide consistent, reliable service.
- Utilities also add more than one new residential customer every minute on average.
How does natural gas support affordable living?
Affordable energy impacts much more than utility bills.
Lower energy costs can help households manage overall living expenses, while businesses can reinvest savings into economic impact including more jobs, increased wages and business growth.
Natural gas also supports industries that Americans rely on daily, including:
Can natural gas help businesses save money?
Yes. Natural gas is often a preferred fuel for American businesses because of its affordability and efficiency.
Businesses have saved more than $655 billion over the last decade because of affordable natural gas.
Specific industries also benefit significantly:
- The hospitality industry depends on natural gas to support restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues.
- Pharmaceutical manufacturers use natural gas for stable heating and temperature control during production of life-saving medications.
- Agriculture relies on natural gas as a key feedstock for fertilizer and other essential products.
- The U.S. competitive advantage in manufacturing is fueled by the reliable and secure energy provided by natural gas, making pathways for a low-carbon economy, especially as energy demand continues to rise.
These cost advantages help keep goods and services more affordable for consumers.
How does natural gas stay affordable even as demand grows?
Natural gas utilities have continued meeting rising demand while maintaining relatively stable prices through continued infrastructure investment, domestic production growth and operational innovation.
Natural gas utilities have supported nearly 50% demand growth since 2006 while keeping prices stable. The U.S. also continues to benefit from abundant natural gas resources and strong storage capacity.
What’s the bottom line on natural gas affordability?
Natural gas continues to reliably and affordably fuel homes, businesses and critical industries 24/7/365.
With lower household energy costs, decades of customer savings, abundant domestic supply and continued infrastructure investment, natural gas remains a key part of delivering affordable energy across the United States.