UPDATE 1-U.S. retail heating oil price rises to record -EIA

(Adds detail from report)

WASHINGTON, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Heating oil prices for U.S. households rose 0.2 cent during the past week to hit a record of $3.30 a gallon, the government said on Thursday.

The national heating oil price has jumped an average of 86.6 cents from a year ago, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its weekly heating oil report.

The steady rise in heating oil prices reflects expensive crude oil, and high heating fuel demand during the winter months.

Earlier on Thursday, the EIA said heating oil stocks in the week ended Dec. 21 fell 700,000 barrels to 39.8 million barrels, and were down 21 million barrels from the same time a year ago.

Washington, D.C., had the highest heating oil prices at $3.66 cents per gallon, an increase of about 1.5 cent from the prior week, with New Jersey next at $3.45.

The EIA said consumers had the lowest prices in Nebraska at $2.95 a gallon, down 1 cent, followed by Kentucky at $3.00 a gallon.

EIA has estimated that consumers in the Northeast, where one out of three homes in the region use the fuel, will pay a record $3.06 a gallon, an increase of 66 cents from last winter. (Reporting by Christopher Doering; Editing by Walter Bagley)