Maine: Heating Oil Average Hits Record $6.04 a Gallon, Up 83% From Last Year
The Maine Department of Energy Resources released its latest weekly heating fuel price survey on October 22, showing the statewide average price of home heating oil reached a record $6.04 a gallon on October 19, an 83% increase from October 2025, breaking the previous record of $6.02 a gallon.
Maine depends on heating oil more than any other state, with about half of its homes using oil as their primary heat source. As cold weather sets in, heating costs are a central concern for household budgets. Governor Janet Mills this week welcomed the U.S. Department of Energy's authorization to release up to 315,000 barrels from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve and renewed her call for more federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
The Governor's Office has said heating oil reached $6.02 a gallon in September, which works out to about $740 more to fill a standard 275-gallon tank than a year earlier. It also said thousands of eligible residents will begin receiving automatic discounts on electric bills through the state's Low Income Assistance Program, whose funding has grown from $22.5 million in 2025 to $40.5 million in 2026.
The Department of Energy Resources publishes the weekly survey of heating fuel prices, covering heating oil, kerosene and propane, a key indicator for residents and policymakers during the heating season.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：缅因州议会大厦（Augusta）。摄影：w_lemay，CC BY-SA 2.0（Wikimedia Commons）。Photo: the Maine State House in Augusta. Photo by w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
