The state released its last survey of the heating season Monday and it wasn’t good.

The statewide average for a gallon of No. 2 oil: $3.78. That’s up 17 cents in a week and $1.39 more than a year ago.

On Monday, Ian Burnes, deputy director of policy and planning in the Governor’s Office of Energy Independence and Security, steered homeowners toward a low-interest loan program to insulate windows and doors, about the best solution with prices this high.

“There are no easy answers. Every official study that’s looked at what we can do, the last 5-10 years, has pointed to weatherization as the most effective way for homeowners to deal with it,” Burnes said.

The governor’s standing energy task force will meet soon to look at long-range solutions – moving more goods by rail and taking trucks off the road, using more ethanol mix in gas – steps that lower costs in five or more years, Barnes said.

“Our fossil fuel culture is so deeply ingrained. It takes a long time to get (here); it’s going to take a long time to get out of it,” he said.

The program that can help in the short term isn’t used enough, Barnes said.

Only 42 households had used the Home Energy Loan Program by the end of 2007, according to Maine State Housing Authority spokesman Dan Simpson, borrowing $491,000 to fix windows, repair vents and buy Energy Star-rated appliances.

Under new guidelines, money is available in loans with 2 percent interest after an energy audit. Income requirements are the same as for the first time home buyer program.

“We expect the program to get a lot more use this year,” Simpson said.

MSHA has already given out $33.8 million in heating assistance benefits this winter to 44,600 households. Another 2,650 applications are being processed. The last date to apply for help is April 30.

The average benefit, $750, wouldn’t fill a tank at Monday’s prices. The price range, according to the state survey, went from a high of $3.90 found in western Maine to a low of $3.50 found in central Maine.

The statewide average for kerosene was $4.17.