A1A South

The average heating oil price in Maine jumped 16 cents since last week, hitting a record price of $3.61 a gallon, according to the latest survey by the state’s Office of Energy Independence and Security.

The price is $1.22 higher than last year at this time.

Helping to drive the increase was world crude oil prices, the state said. For the second week in a row and the fourth straight day, the price of crude oil broke an inflation-adjusted record on Monday, trading at more than $107 a barrel.
Within the state’s survey sample, actual heating oil prices ranged from $3.29 to $3.80 a gallon.

The statewide average price for kerosene rose 14 cents, to $4 a gallon.

Propane for home heating fell a nickel, to $3 a gallon.

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Even in Florida, we’ve always made sure to keep a wood-burning stove and a cord of firewood ”just in case”.  With very few evenings below freezing, we don’t endure the horrendous heating bills that our northern neighbors do.  They, in turn, don’t have the air conditioning bills in the summer that we do with the difference being that we could survive without A/C if we had to.  We’d be uncomfortable to be sure (okay, SwampMan would be completely miserable and I’d be a little uncomfortable).  We’ve done it before, though, when we couldn’t afford the electrical bill.  

I’d build one of these simple solar heat collectors, or maybe this one, to let our neighbors to the north know if they work, but we build here with deep porches to protect the windows from direct sunlight; therefore, there isn’t anyplace where I could put one!  If anybody up there has ever built one, let me know if they work.  I’ve always been curious about that.