I'm worried this winter could break the bank.

And I can't be the only one worried. According to the Maine Governor's Energy Office, the average price of a gallon of home heating oil is $5.03, that's almost double last year's price. Double - and last year was not cheap. An average oil tank is 275 gallons. When full, that's about 225 gallons allowing space for expansion and debris. So, some quick math shows that if you filled your tank with 225 gallons, it would cost you over $1,100 dollars!

Home Heating Oil Tank Gauge
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I'm sorry, but that is insane! To make matters worse, a quick Google search finds...

With more than 60 percent of homes reliant on heating oil, compared to 4 percent nationally and between 24-42 percent elsewhere in New England, Maine is the most heating oil dependent state in the country.

I have a good job and I'm worried. I cannot imagine those who are struggling to make ends meet!

Photo by Dylan McLeod on Unsplash
Photo by Dylan McLeod on Unsplash
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Maine's Energy Office has tips on how to save energy, but nothing groundbreaking or new. It's the typical weather stripping, tune up your boiler and switch when possible to electric heat pumps. So how cold will this winter be? Not great news from the Farmers' Almanac -

The first bite of winter should come earlier than last year’s. December 2022 looks stormy and cold nationwide with an active storm pattern developing and hanging around for most of the season over the eastern half of the country. (Maybe there will be a white Christmas in some areas?)

I'm wearing layers and a hat all winter long and it's still probably gonna cost me an arm and a leg.

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