After a month of increases, heating oil showed a drop in price in Maine markets surveyed Monday by the State Planning Office.

No. 2 fell by 3 cents per gallon, to a statewide average $1.98. That’s still 69 cents more than the commodity cost a year ago, and 28 cents more than when this winter heating season began the first week of October.

A 23-cent disparity between the low and high price for heating oil was evident in the SPO survey, with the lowest price, $1.85, found in southern Maine and the high, $2.08, posted in Down East areas.

Kerosene fell by 4 cents per gallon, to a state average of $2.26, or 75 cents more than the fuel cost a year ago.

Propane sold in bulk for heating purposes climbed in price by 2 cents per gallon to $2.01, the SPO found.

The decline in the prices for heating oil and kerosene mirrors falling gasoline pump prices. A week ago, regular unleaded was selling in the Lewiston-Auburn area for $2.03 or more per gallon at many filling stations. On Monday, many outlets were selling regular unleaded for $1.98.

The falling prices for refined products follow a big dip in the cost of crude oil. In October, crude topped $55 for a 42-gallon barrel in futures trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Monday afternoon it was trading at $49.09. More information may be obtained at www.maineenergyinfo.com.