AUGUSTA – It’s only a week into Maine’s official heating season and already the average price for No. 2 fuel oil has climbed by 3 cents, to $1.28 per gallon.

That’s 9 cents higher than the product cost a year ago, according to figures released Tuesday by the State Planning Office. The SPO monitors heating costs from October to April.

The office found the statewide average for the fuel was $1.25 per gallon last week.

People who heat with kerosene will pay an average of $1.51 per gallon this week for that energy source. That’s also 3 cents more than it cost a week ago, and 7 cents higher than last year last this time.

In a narrative accompanying the week’s survey findings, the SPO cautioned that while fuel oil and propane inventories are within average ranges, if last year’s weather patterns – an early, long and cold winter – repeat, it could prompt regional shortfalls.

“Even more dramatic is the comparison of high-sulfur distillate fuel oil inventories in New England, which are down about 18 percent compared to the five-year average,” noted the SPO’s Betsy Elder, who supervises the survey and monitors heating fuel prices for Maine.

“Homeowners can reduce their exposure to higher home heating oil prices by adopting some simple home energy conservation measures,” Elder added. “Studies show that for every dollar spent on insulation and caulking, two dollars can be saved in energy costs.”

Details of energy cost-saving weatherization efforts can be found on the state’s special BundleMeUp Internet site, she said.

The weekly SPO study found a 27-cent disparity statewide between high and low actual prices for heating oil, with a low of $1.13 per gallon in the eastern part of Maine and a high of $1.40 in other regions.

Kerosene could be had for as little as $1.44 per gallon or as much as $1.56, a 12-cent difference.

The disparities suggests that consumers who shop around for low prices before topping their tanks might be able to save some money.

The weekly propane price survey found the statewide average cost fell by a penny, to $1.61 per gallon. That’s up 9 cents from this time last year.

The propane figures represent the price per gallon for a 600-gallon domestic tank used for heating and are not representative of smaller volumes purchased for other applications, the SPO said.

It also found that East Coast propane inventories are tracking 24.7 percent below the five-year average.

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