By Killian Maree—For the North Star Reporter
As temperatures lower for the fall and winter just a couple months off, home heating oil prices are on the minds of many.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, prices can even fluctuate weekly. The week of Oct. 13, the average price of home heating oil was $6.19 a gallon, compared to the week of Sep. 14, when it was $5.98 a gallon. This time last year, heating oil was $3.56 a gallon. Current prices range from $5.70 to $6.71 a gallon, according to DOER.
The price increase can be attributed to geopolitical causes, including wars overseas such as the recent conflicts between Iran and the United States and Israel or that of Russia and Ukraine, which create tensions in the oil industry and trade between countries.
According to Jonathan Allen, an owner at W.H. Riley & Son, the prices fluctuate dramatically whether it’s up or down. He said the shifting prices and the news about them is helpful because people know what to expect before contacting companies.
“It makes them aware of where the market is,” said Allen.
Many heating oil companies do not offer deals for seniors, however many have special deals. W.H. Riley & Son has a discount which a customer will see if they pay within 10 days, which seems to be the pattern with other companies in the area. Fawcett Energy offers deals on its website, such as $250 off of new heating and cooling installation.
Paul Rota and his family, North Attleboro residents, use Eastern Petroleum out of Newton for their heating oil. While Rota says they have always treated them fairly, he has noticed a significant increase in price.
“More recently, I checked the current pricing and saw it around $5.50 per gallon. We have a 330-gallon tank, so filling it from near empty would be a pretty significant expense. That’s the kind of number that definitely gets a homeowner’s attention,” said Rota.
When asked if Rota had ever considered a different way of heating his home, he said they’ve never seriously priced out the heating systems, especially since natural gas is not available on their street. Rota uses NewEnglandOil.com to make sure he is getting a fair price.
There are a number of other options people can look into if they feel they are paying too much for gas. One of these is to contact Massachusetts Home Energy Assistance, at 211. Once contacted, the people who work at MassHEAP can help find services that either fit more in a homeowner’s budget, or can refer them to other services that can help lower oil prices.
There are also other websites that can be used to compare the prices of heating oil, including findhelp.org and match.angi.com.