Heating oil roulette: Lock in now or take a chance later? (Maine)

[jpak]

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=190755&ac=PHnws

Sticker shock. That's what homeowners who heat with oil are feeling as prices rise to more than $4.50 a gallon.

Heating oil prices are nearly double what they were last year at this time, and some oil dealers have delayed rolling out their payment plans for next winter as the chaotic world oil markets continue their wild ride.

Consumers -- already on edge with rising gasoline and food prices -- will probably be outraged when they calculate their oil bills for next winter, said Jamie Py, president of the Maine Oil Dealers Association.

"There'll be sticker shock," Py said. "Nobody knows what the price will do. It could go up or the bubble could burst and it could come crashing back down."

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[Dead_Parrot]

1. Not just Maine

My father (in the UK) has his heating from oil: His bill for a top-up has gone from £500 to £800 in the last 12 months.

Heads we don't win, tails we all loose.