Expect to pay more to heat your home this winter than you spent last year. That’s the message from government analysts who sifted through forecasts for a colder winter and slightly higher energy prices. The Energy Department said today (Thursday) that household bills from October through March are likely to be higher for all four main heating fuels – natural gas, electricity, heating oil, and propane.

Consumers got a break last winter, when temperatures were mild. Government meteorologists are expecting a colder winter this time in the Northeast, Midwest and South.