The first cold mornings are here, and so is the first government forecast of what heating the house will cost this winter.
The answer depends almost entirely on what heats your home. Some of us get a break this year, and some of us don't.
Below: who pays more to heat this winter, two recalls for the backyard and the bedroom, a fall check for the swing set, two recalls for families with little ones, a costume check, a thermostat with the math done, and two more recalls for the yard.
Reply and tell us: what heats your home, gas, electric, oil or propane? We read every one.
Who Pays More to Heat a Home This Winter
Image: The Home Wire
Five things worth knowing this week.
💸 Gas and propane homes catch a break. The EIA's winter forecast, out last week, expects homes heated mainly with natural gas to spend about 9 percent less than last winter, and propane homes about 3 percent less. About half of U.S. homes heat with one of the two.
⚡ Electric heat costs a little more. EIA expects homes heated with electricity, more than 40 percent of U.S. homes, to spend about 4 percent more.
🛢️ Heating oil takes the biggest hit. The roughly 3 percent of homes that burn oil, mostly in the Northeast, are expected to pay about 21 percent more for it, even with a milder winter forecast there. EIA says East Coast stocks of heating oil and diesel were 32 percent below their five-year average in September, while natural gas storage heads into winter 2 percent above its average.
🚨 About 110,550 swing seats are recalled. PACEARTH U-shaped swing seats with a yellow plastic-coated chain, sold on Amazon from 2017 to June 2026 for $27 to $57, can break at the seat, the carabiners or the straps. There are at least 30 reports of falls and nine injuries. Stop using it and request a refund.
🚨 Romorgniz six-drawer dressers can tip over. About 12,078 wooden dressers in white or black, sold on Amazon from May 2025 to August 2026 for $100 to $170, are unstable unless they're anchored to a wall. If yours isn't anchored, stop using it and keep it away from kids. Refund details are here.
One take on the heating numbers. The September forecast from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, which we covered on September 28, had gas heat costs rising about 6 percent. EIA now has gas spending falling. Both agree oil is the worst of it, and both lean on the weather, so a colder winter than expected pushes every number up.
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What kind of home do you live in?
A Fall Check for the Swing Set
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With that swing seat recall in the news, it's a good week to walk out to the swing set before it sits through the winter.
Per the CPSC's Outdoor Home Playground Safety Handbook, most of the checks take a few minutes and a wrench.
Check seats, chains and ropes for rust, cracks and wear, and replace anything worn. CPSC suggests doing this monthly while the set is in use.
Squeeze the S-hooks shut. The gap should be no wider than a dime's thickness.
Tighten the nuts and bolts, and cover or bury anything sharp that sticks out.
Sand and repaint rust spots with a paint that doesn't contain lead.
Check the ground cover. CPSC wants at least 9 inches of loose fill, like wood chips or mulch. It packs down over time, so rake it and top it up.
Bring plastic seats inside for the winter if the manufacturer recommends it.
CPSC also says thin mats and carpet aren't enough under a swing set, and play equipment should never sit on concrete or asphalt. The loose fill should run at least 6 feet out in every direction, and in front of and behind a swing, twice the height of the top bar.
If your kids play on a public playground instead, none of this is your job, but it's a handy list for spotting a problem worth reporting.
Two Recalls for Families With Little Ones
Two more recalls from last week, both for homes with small kids.
🛁 ONTHEWEI baby bath seats. About 2,140 seats, sold on Amazon in April for $40 to $50, can tip over in the tub and don't meet the federal standard for infant bath seats. They come in gray, pink, blue and mist green, with suction cups underneath and arms that come off. Look for "Model No: MY002" on a label on the back. Stop using it, and follow CPSC's steps for a refund. The company asks you to mark the seat "RECALLED," take off the back rest and arms, cut the suction cups and email a photo.
🔑 Giant SureLock bike lock light-up keys. About 3,630 LED keys that came with some Giant SureLock lock sets hold a button battery that a child can get to, and swallowed button batteries can cause serious internal burns. Stop using the light-up key. Giant offers a $5 refund, and the lock and its plain keys are fine to keep using. Take the key to a Giant store with the lock or a photo of its serial number, which is on the underside of the lock. Here are the details.
Both were sold within the last few years, so if either sounds familiar, check today.
A Two-Minute Halloween Costume Check
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Costume shopping is happening now, so here's what to check before the tags come off.
Per the CPSC, look for "flame resistant" on the label of costumes, masks, beards and wigs. It doesn't mean fireproof. It means the fabric resists burning and puts itself out quickly.
Skip big, baggy sleeves, long capes and billowing skirts, which can brush against a candle in a jack-o'-lantern.
Go bright, or add reflective tape, so drivers can see kids at dusk. The candy bag counts, too.
Hand every kid a flashlight.
Make sure masks fit and have eyeholes big enough to see out of fully. CPSC says face makeup is often the safer choice.
Check the hem. A costume that drags on the ground can trip a kid on the porch steps.
Tie hats and scarves on securely so they can't slip down over a kid's eyes.
Pick soft, bendy swords and props, never stiff or sharp ones.
Reflective tape is cheap and easy to find at hardware, bike and sporting goods stores. A few strips on the back of a costume and on the candy bag make a kid much easier to spot in headlights.
Homemade costume? CPSC suggests fabrics like nylon or polyester, which resist burning, over flimsy materials. Store-bought costumes count as clothing under federal flammability rules, and CPSC recalls the ones that fail.
A Thermostat That Turns the Heat Down for You
If this winter's heating bill is going up at your house, the cheapest heat is the heat you don't make while you're out or asleep.
The one we'd point you to is the ecobee Smart Thermostat Essential, at $139.99. It's ENERGY STAR certified, and you can set and change it from your phone.
ecobee says its customers saved up to 23 percent on heating and cooling, which it puts at up to $250 a year. Read the fine print on ecobee's page: that's compared with holding the house at 72 F all day. If you already turn the heat down at night, you'll save less.
Do the math your own way. If it trimmed a $1,000 winter heating bill by 10 percent, it would pay for itself in about a year and a half.
Check your wiring before you buy. If your wall has no C-wire to power it, ecobee sells a Power Extender Kit separately, and its online compatibility checker will tell you which you need. Renters, ask the landlord first.
We haven't lived with this one through a winter. The price, specs and savings figures come from ecobee's own page.
Links in this post may be affiliate links. The Home Wire may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.
Also Recalled: Two for the Yard
🔥 DR Power trimmer mowers. About 42,860 orange-and-black DR Pilot and Premier walk-behind trimmer mowers, sold from November 2022 to July 2026 for $380 to $550, can catch fire when grass and debris build up inside. There are 19 reports of fires. Look for "Premier" or "Pro" on the side of the frame. Stop using it and get the free repair kit. If you'd rather not install it yourself, DR Power will arrange a free install at a dealer.
🔥 Snow Peak propane fireplace inserts. Only about 100 Takibi propane inserts were sold, in July for about $350, but their lava rocks can explode when heated. If you bought one for a Snow Peak fireplace this summer, check for model ST-332-US, then stop using it and contact Snow Peak for a refund or new rocks.
That's Monday: who pays more for heat this winter, six recalls, a swing set check and a costume check.
If you only do one thing this week, go squeeze the S-hooks on the swing set.
Forward this to whoever in your house pays the heating bill.
See you tomorrow.
The Home Wire
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