Understanding the Relationship Between Pets and Heating Bills

Is the number of pets in a household the direct cause of an increase in average monthly heating bills?

The average monthly heating bills for houses in a neighborhood are positively correlated to the number of pets in the house. Can it be inferred that the number of pets in a household causes an increase in average monthly heating bills? Explain.

Final answer:

The number of pets in a household does not necessarily cause an increase in average monthly heating bills as there may be other factors at play.

While the given information states that the average monthly heating bills for houses in a neighborhood are positively correlated to the number of pets in the house, it does not necessarily imply a causal relationship. Correlation means that there is a statistical relationship between the two variables, but it does not prove that one variable directly causes the other. There could potentially be other factors at play that cause both higher heating bills and a higher number of pets in households. For example, houses with larger square footage may have both more pets and higher heating bills.