Maine’s heating oil prices are about 80% higher than those seen a year ago.
The statewide average price for a gallon of heating oil is $5.96, down slightly from last week’s record high of $6.02, according to a Maine Department of Energy Resources survey.
Prices range from a statewide low of $5 a gallon to as high as $6.30 in parts of eastern and Down East Maine, where the average rests at $6.
This time last year heating oil went for an average of $3.33 a gallon, and this same time in 2024 it went for $3.34.
That means it will cost Mainers an additional $725 to fill a standard 275-gallon tank, the Department of Energy Resources said Thursday afternoon.
That’s raising concerns among lower-income homeowners in a state heavily reliant on heating oil to stay warm during the winter. Mainers already have empty fuel tanks, according to the community action program serving Aroostook, Hancock and Washington counties. But the Trump administration has rebuffed calls to release federal heating assistance early.
“With oil prices setting record highs, this is likely to be a very tough winter for many Maine families,” said Maine Public Advocate Heather Sanborn, who encouraged Mainers to check their eligibility for rebates or programs to reduce their energy bills.
The higher cost to stay warm is driven by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s more than 4-year-old war in Ukraine and President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, which effectively halted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s natural gas and oil passes.
The U.S. is sending a third aircraft carrier and 9,000 additional troops into the Middle East, a move that comes after Republican President Donald Trump threatened more airstrikes against Iran, according to The Associated Press.
Adding to the complex global picture, Iran-aligned Houthis seized key territory at the mouth of the Red Sea, another vital global shipping route, and attacked energy sites in Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.
“Maine’s reliance on imported heating fuels means our households remain exposed to volatility in global oil markets, putting added pressure on families as we head into winter with record high prices,” said Celina Cunningham, acting state energy commissioner.
