By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

This fall even the heartiest of Mainers are shivering at the thought of another hard winter with heating fuel prices more than double what they were this time last year. In response to a growing concern for both low income seniors and working class families who may not have the financial means to stay warm this winter, representatives from Efficiency Maine, Maine Housing Authority and Maine Oil Dealers Association are visiting communities in York and Cumberland counties to spread the word on how to get the most out of home heating systems. 

“We’re going to have to take care of ourselves and our families as best we can and take care of others as well,” Maine State Sen. Lynn Bromley (D-South Portland) said at a conference in South Portland last week. “We’re all in this together.”

Bromley said the recent drop in oil prices may help commuters at the gas pump this fall, but the volatility of the market could have “Katrina-like” implications for residents trying to keep warm this winter but unable to afford enough heating oil to do so. 

“It’s human nature to think we dodged the bullet, but we haven’t,” she said.

Maine Oil Dealer Association President Jamie Py said the price of heating oil is less likely to decrease this winter since the product is similar to diesel fuel – the fuel of choice in many countries – and the two are commonly “combined on the market.” Py said possibly illegal speculation by investors has resulted in the current price of home heating fuel. 

“Things are going on that are very unclear,” he said. “It would appear there is some manipulation [of the oil market] going on.”

Py said nearly 74 percent of fuel costs are associated with the price of crude oil, while only 7 percent represents distributing and marketing costs incurred by companies like the Maine Oil Dealers Association members.

“That [7 percent] is what we represent. Remember to not kill the messenger,” he said. “High energy prices can cripple an economy, I don’t think that’s good for anybody.”

So just what can Mainers do to prepare for this winter? Maine Housing Authority Environmental Educator Lucy Van Hook and Efficiency Maine’s Dick Bacon both agree subjecting your home to a “efficiency audit” – which can cost anywhere from $400 to $1,000 – is the first step. 

“[An efficiency audit] helps identify air gaps and insulation weak spots in your home,” Hook said. “It is a way to assess your house and get [appropriate] measures installed.”

Bacon said “critically important” efficiency audits can include pressurizing a house to find spots where heat escapes during the winter. Windows can then be fitted with more efficient panes, gaps in walls and foundations can be re-caulked and insulation can be installed to the point where some houses can be “too tight,” he said. 

“It’s a large up-front cost but it is worth it. You will make that money back,” Hook said. 

People’s Regional Opportunity Program (PROP) board member and professional banker Charlie Kennedy said most local banks are willing to work with homeowners who cannot afford the initial expense of a home energy audit and may not be eligible for assistance programs through PROP, Efficiency Maine or Maine Housing Authority. 

“A bank in the state of Maine is going to look out for you,” Kennedy said. “We recommend that people come talk to us. There are a huge number of options.”

Downeast Energy’s Tim Kiley said keeping an oil burner clean can help maximize its efficiency. Special controls – costing anywhere from $400 to $900 – that either monitor the outside temperature or the output of the heating unit indoors and adjust burner performance accordingly can also help control fuel consumption, he said. 

“There are special controls you can install with existing systems and save 10 to 15 percent off your heating costs,” he said.

When it comes to setting the thermostat, Kiley said he doesn’t recommend more than a five-degree swing to keep a heating system from having to “catch up.”

“Any more than that and you’re going to lose some efficiency,” he said.

While public forums similar to the one in South Portland are popping up through the state – Py was scheduled to attend another in Kennebunk earlier this week – the state’s Heat and Energy Emergency Task Force (HEET) is taking a more comprehensive approach to winter preparation. 

“We’re taking a full-frontal approach and looking beyond just heat,” said State Sen. Elizabeth Mitchell, who co-chairs HEET with Rep. Chellie Pingree. “We’re looking at wind power, geothermal and other alternative fuels.”

Mitchell said the state legislature is prepared to help Mainers in need of assistance this winter as many other programs are likely to be overwhelmed by those in need of special financing either for home repairs or heating fuel.

“We’re not going to let anybody freeze,” she said. “If [local programs] aren’t enough and congress fails to act, I am confident the governor would call us in.”

To learn more about special financing programs available through the Maine Housing Authority visit www.mainehousing.org for programs offered by Effeciency Maine visit ww.efficiencymaine.com and for those offered by PROP visit www.propeople.org.