The past year has certainly been costly for Americans, especially when it comes to food prices. In April, Food & Wine reported on a LendingTree survey showing that nine out of 10 Americans are changing how they shop for groceries due to rising costs, such as switching from brand-name products to generic brands. In June, we noted that even though inflation was slowing, the price of “food at home” still increased by 0.3% month over month. Throughout the year, we also looked at changes in tariff rates and how they affect grocery bills. Now, we’re seeing that not only is food becoming expensive, but so are the ways in which we prepare it.

In November, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released an analysis of U.S. natural gas prices over the past five years, revealing that, on average, households nationwide can expect a 4% increase in natural gas prices in 2025 compared with the previous year. Individual homes are not alone; the report also found that retail operators—such as your favorite restaurant—will see a 4% increase.

“Driven by an increase in wholesale natural gas prices, retail U.S. natural gas prices for every sector have increased so far this year, although the increases are uneven across sectors,” the analysis explained. “We forecast that natural gas prices for customers in the commercial and residential sectors will increase by less, at 4% each.”

Perhaps most worrying of all,The Guardiannoted that household gas prices increased by 11.7% in September alone compared to the previous year, indicating a higher inflation rate than in any other measured area, including medical care and clothing.

That 4% may seem small, but it will certainly matter to the than one in three American households that still cook with a gas rangeespecially those in Nevada, California, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York, where gas ranges outnumber electric ranges.

The Guardianreported that the price increase is due to compounding factors, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which raised export costs, as well as extreme weather events. In the coming years, prices could climb further due to President Donald Trump’s plan to export U.S.-drilled gas as chilled liquefied natural gas. AsNatural Gas Intelligencenoted, the EIA’s November Short-Term Energy Outlook projected that Henry Hub spot prices (the daily market rates for natural gas) will likely rise from their current price of $3.90 in winter 2025/26 (November–March) to an average of $4.00 in 2026, “primarily due to increased liquefied natural gas exports amid flat production growth.”

Although gas stove owners may still be better off financially than their electric stove owners. According to data from A&A Appliance Leasing, while the cost of operating either can vary greatly depending on your location, gas stoves remain a budget-friendly option in most areas, costing between $20 to $60 annually, whereas electric stoves require significantly power and cost an average of $145 per year to operate.

However, the added cost of an electric range might be worth it for some, especially those concerned about the environment. As Food & Wine previously reporteda Stanford study found that gas stoves leak methane even when turned off, noting that the annual methane emissions from all gas stoves in U.S. homes “have a climate impact comparable to the annual carbon dioxide emissions of 500,000 cars.” Another study by the EPA and Duke University found that exposure to nitrogen dioxide from a gas stove increases the odds of childhood respiratory illness by approximately 20%.

Additionally, when Darby Jack, a professor at Columbia University, partnered with the environmental justice group We Act to replace gas stoves with induction stoves in 20 affordable housing units in Buffalo and the Bronx, he discovered that it wasn’t just about cost but also about convenience. As Darby noted in his findings, participants preferred “their new stoves to their older gas version, citing ease of use and cooking quality.”