COLUMBUS (AP) — With a milder winter predicted, experts say heating costs should be lower for most Ohioans.

Many energy companies used the lessons of last winter, one of the coldest and snowiest in decades, to improve their delivery systems.

So even if forecasts are off, companies expect to avoid the kind of panic that hit parts of Ohio last January and February, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

According to the forecasting service AccuWeather, Ohio’s average temperature from December to February looks to be 2 degrees lower than normal. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration also predicts a warmer Ohio winter.

Regarding natural gas, experts are predicting that market prices will be lower than a year ago, with consumption also lower.