Maine’s heating oil prices are again approaching $6 a gallon.
The average cost for a gallon of heating oil is $5.97, up from $5.96 last week, according to the Maine Department of Energy Resources.
That’s down from last month’s record high of $6.02.
Still, this time last year the average cost for a gallon of heating oil was $3.34, meaning this week’s price is about 79% higher.
That means it will cost Mainers an additional $725 to fill a standard 275-gallon tank, the Department of Energy Resources has said.
In eastern and Down East Maine, prices range from a low of $5.50 to a high of $6.30.
The skyrocketing cost of heating oil has been fueled by President Donald Trump’s ongoing war against Iran, which effectively halted fuel shipments out of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s natural gas and oil passes. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine also has strained global fuel supplies.
Maine is particularly vulnerable to such price shocks, because the state is heavily reliant on heating oil to keep warm during the winter.
Last week, Gov. Janet Mills called on Congress to approve additional funds for low-income fuel assistance.