This winter's forecast milder temperatures will carry lighter heating bills.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration is estimating the prices of propane and heating oil to dip slightly while the cost of natural gas is expected to rise. Electricity is expected to stay at about the same price as last year.Propane is expected to cost $2.85 a gallon for customers in the Northeast. That's down from $3 last winter.Oil is estimated to cost $2.57 a gallon, down from $3.04 last winter, and electricity is expected to stay at $0.168 per kilowatt-hour, according to the EIA.Natural gas, however, is expected to cost 5.6 percent more. The price per thousand cubic feet this winter is expected to be $11.48, up from $10.87 last year.The prices, estimated from Oct. 1 through March 31, do not include any taxes. The number of heating days in the Northeast last winter was 5,651. This winter, that figure is expected to drop to 4,903.Most households - 11.7 million - in the Northeast use natural gas, 4.8 million use oil, 3.1 million use electricity, 848,000 use propane, and 598,000 use wood.