WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30: HEATING SEASON

Profile America — Tuesday, October 30th.  Against the backdrop of rising concern about the cost of energy, most homeowners across the nation are anxiously watching the dropping temperatures as fall advances. Most homes in the U.S. have central heating, and six-out-of-10 have a warm-air furnace.  By far the most popular heating fuel is gas — either piped in or bottled — which heats just over 60 percent of the nation's homes.  About one-third use electricity.  Fuel oil, while still important in New England, is used to heat just under 8 percent of U.S. homes.  And coal and wood, which used to heat a majority of houses, now combine to provide warmth to less than 2 percent of homes.  You can find more facts about America's people, places and economy, from the American Community Survey at www.census.gov.

Sources:  Statistical Abstract of the United States 2012, t. 1001

Profile America is produced by the Center for New Media and Promotions of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button). 

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau