Across the United States, families await winter with trepidation as energy costs rise and fuel supplies dwindle.
The Department of Energy is projecting steep price increases for home heating compared to last winter, and some worry whether heating assistance programs will be able to make up the difference for struggling families. The situation is even bleaker in Europe, as Russia’s continued restriction of natural gas drives up prices and causes painful shortages.
In Maine, Aaron Raymo saw the writing on the wall and began stocking up on heating oil in 5-gallon increments during the summer as costs rose. He filled a container with heating oil when he could afford it, usually on paydays, and used a heating assistance program to fill his 275-gallon oil tank as colder weather arrived.
Your family is trying to avoid being forced to make a difficult decision: choosing between food or heating your home.
“It’s hard,” he said. “What are you going to choose for food, or how much fuel oil are you going to choose to keep warm?”
Several factors are converging to create a grim picture: global energy consumption has rebounded since the start of the pandemic, and supply was barely keeping pace before the war in Ukraine further squeezed supplies.
The National Association of Energy Assistance Directors says energy costs will be the highest in more than a decade this winter.
The Department of Energy projects that heating bills will rise 28% this winter for those who rely on natural gas, used by nearly half of American homes for heating. Heating oil is projected to be 27% higher and electricity 10% higher, the agency said.
That runs counter to inflation rates that accelerated last month with consumer prices rising 6.6%, the fastest pace in four decades.
The pain will be especially acute in New England, which relies heavily on heating oil to keep homes warm. It is projected to cost more than $2,300 to heat a typical home with heating oil this winter, the energy department said.
Across the country, some are urging utilities to implement a moratorium on winter power shutoffs, and members of Congress have already added $1 billion in aid for heating. But there will be fewer federal dollars than last year when pandemic aid flowed.
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