The use of electric heat is on the rise, even in the frosty Northeast. Cost is a main draw, although some homeowners complain that electric heat isn’t as efficient as other fuels. Nationally, about a third of US homes rely on electricity as their primary heating source.
Chuck Burton/AP/File
In this February 2012 photo, a Duke Energy employee works on power lines in Charlotte, N.C. Electric heat is a popular choice for heating homes, mostly because it's inexpensive.