In Reply to: No surprise: Cruelty is the point posted by mh on October 08, 2026 at 10:34:21
Midcoast Maine Braces for a Pricey Winter
Heating oil is up 80% from last year. Maine relies on it more than any other state.
She may cancel the MLB.TV subscription she purchases for her grandson. And, she will have to spread out payments to MaineHealth for the cost of her husband’s recent surgeries instead of paying it all at once.
She hopes these adjustments allow her to purchase the heating oil she needs to keep her family warm in the coming months.
“If oil prices don’t go any higher, we should be okay,” Cerce said. “But it will be tricky.”
Many others will be forced to choose between going cold, dipping into savings, turning to unsafe heating sources or seeking financial assistance from the state, which hopes to have enough funding to help everyone who needs it.
“We are in an unprecedented territory,” said Celina Cunningham, the acting commissioner of the Maine Department of Energy Resources. “The prices are going up just as it’s starting to get colder.”