FILE - A woman is silhouetted against the setting sun as triple-digit heat indexes continue in the Midwest, Aug. 20, 2023, in Kansas City, Mo. Summer officially begins on the Summer Solstice – between June 20 and 22 – and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts this could be one of the hottest on record.Researchers analyzed 53 million births across 50 of the most populated metropolitan areas in the U.S.
The number of extreme heat days in some states is five times higher than 40 years ago, highlighting the importance of air conditioning. However, air conditioning is expected to be more expensive this year.from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, the average cost of cooling your home from June to September is set to hit $719, which is almost 8% higher than last year and up from an average of $476 a decade ago.
These costs vary geographically. For example, costs will be as low as $580 on average in states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio but could be as high as $860 in states like Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. If we look at the percent increase from last summer by region, the mid-Atlantic and Pacific are expected to see the biggest jumps – both over 12% -- while the west-south-central is expected to see an increase of just over 2%.