By David Sharp
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PORTLAND, Maine — With heating oil prices topping $5 per gallon, an all-time record in New England, people who depend on the energy source to stay warm are getting walloped in the final weeks of winter.
In the Northeast, a snowstorm this weekend is expected to bring more than a foot of snow to parts of the region, proving that the cold weather isn’t ready to relinquish its grip.
One energy expert encouraged New Englanders to purchase only what’s needed until warmer weather arrives.
“There’s no need to fill up your tank. The best advice is to buy just what you need because prices will be coming down. This is a spike and prices will be coming down,” said Mark Wolfe from the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association.
Heating oil prices generally track with gasoline prices, which have been growing since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration said New Englanders were paying $2.81 a gallon for heating oil a year ago.
As of Monday, the regional average was $4.96, according to the agency, and the price inched upward in most places. A Massachusetts survey put the average at $5.02, with prices as high as $6. Those prices, which aren’t adjusted for inflation, remain volatile.
Marcia Kepnes, 74, uses several different assistance programs but still worries about running out of heating oil. She isn’t sure what’ll happen at month’s end when her tank is due to be filled.
“It’s a little scary to not know,” said Kepnes, of Barre, Vermont, who has to keep her home at 70 degrees because of her arthritis.
“I very honestly am very afraid of cold,” she said.
In Maine, thieves emptied a church’s oil tank as prices climbed.
Steven Allman, pastor of the Leeds Community Church said between 150 and 175 gallons of oil was stolen sometime before Sunday.
“We are very saddened and our prayers go out to those so desperate that they had to resort to draining our outside fuel tank. If only they would have come to us for their needs,” the church said.
There’s a disproportionate impact in the Northeast, where residents are more dependent on oil for a heating source. The state that’s most heavily reliant on heating oil is Maine, where it heats 60% of homes.
But the higher prices are mitigated by the fact that many customers lock into fixed-rate plans at the start of the season.
Another positive note was that the Biden administration provided $4.5 billion in energy assistance through stimulus funding on top of $3.8 billion through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, Wolfe said.
Some of that money is still being distributed, potentially helping people make late-season energy purchases, he said.
President Joe Biden acknowledged that residents are going to pay a price for his decision to ban oil imports from Russia — a consequence of the war.
He warned that Americans will see oil and gasoline prices rise further, saying “defending freedom is going to cost.”
Charlie Summers from the Maine Energy Marketers Association said many consumers will likely have some breathing room because the spike has come at the tail end of the heating season.
But he said dealers are going to face difficulties because they soon have to begin locking in contracts for next winter.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.