Massachusetts homeowner buys four space heaters as heating oil costs surge 75%

"It wasn't always this hard."

For Massachusetts homeowners, keeping a house warm is becoming a harder budget decision as they search for cheaper ways to get through the winter.

For one transportation engineer, that means less certainty around heating costs.

Here's what to know

According to The Boston Globe, heating oil in Massachusetts averaged $6.23 a gallon, up 75% from a year earlier. Filling a standard tank cost more than $1,500, which is more than $600 above the price from the prior year.

North Andover homeowner Jon Strauss told The Globe that after spending nearly $2,000 on heating oil the previous winter, he bought four space heaters and plans to lower his thermostat.

Strauss said budgeting for winter fuel has become more difficult without the fixed-price plan he usually arranges each fall. His supplier stopped offering those agreements because of market volatility.

The increase is especially troubling in New England, where winters are long and homes rely heavily on oil heat. Nationally, the Energy Information Administration projected that households that primarily use heating oil would spend about $370 more than they did the previous winter.

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More background

Other heating alternatives are also becoming more expensive.

Stoneham social worker Mary Thomas told The Globe she paid nearly $760 for an oil delivery. At the same time, pellets for her wood stove have more than doubled, with a bag now costing $12 at a nearby hardware store.

Roger Conner, who owns and operates RC Conner Enterprises in New Hampshire, said he raised the price of a kiln-dried cord from $495 to $595. The Globe reported that the minimum delivery fee climbed from $25 to $95. Those increases come as firewood suppliers face higher costs of their own.

Conner said the price hikes have not eased the pressure rising expenses are placing on his business. The diesel used to run processing equipment and delivery trucks cost about 64% more in New England than a year earlier, while propane prices increased about 12%, according to The Globe.

"It's stressful getting logs, and it's stressful paying the fuel bill," he said. "We're not making any more money."

What's being done?

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey's declaration of an "energy emergency" is aimed at lowering electricity rates for several months and temporarily expanding heating assistance for eligible households. The state also offers Mass Save incentives for heat pumps and solar technology.

Despite the higher pellet prices, Thomas plans to rely more on her wood stove. She also wants to improve insulation by hanging wall tapestries, adding door draft stoppers, and sealing windows.

ATH Firewood in Ashburnham added two full-time workers to split and stack wood after its stockpile ran out in September.

Tom Heffernan, vice president of sales at Master Chimney Sweepers in Natick, said customers are asking for inspections so long-unused fireplaces and wood stoves can be used again.

Falmouth marine engineer Kelson Thomas, who has five children, said he is putting off car repairs and thinking about getting another credit card as his electricity bills rise.

"It seems like everything is up," he said. "It wasn't always this hard."

Where can I learn more?

Higher heating-oil bills are putting pressure on winter budgets in Massachusetts and across the Northeast.

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