LEWISTON – If you thought heating your home last winter was bad, you might want to head to Florida now.

The statewide average for home heating oil is $3.82 per gallon, more than a dollar higher than last year at this time, according to the Maine’s Office of Energy Independence and Security. In 2004, a gallon of home heating oil cost an average of $1.63.

With cold weather looming, state officials are worried about low- and middle- income residents’ ability to meet their heating needs.

On Wednesday, the federal government announced the release of $121 million in emergency relief Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding. Maine will receive $7 million of the LIHEAP funds.

Jim Wilkins, of Community Concepts, the agency responsible for distributing LIHEAP funds to Androscoggin and Oxford counties, said the additional funds are welcome but not enough.

“Today, the average LIHEAP benefit would purchase about 150 gallons of oil (per household),” he said. “Realistically, in the dead of winter, how long will that last?”

Congress is expected to pass additional LIHEAP funds by Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. In the meantime, the state is working to provide as much support to people of any income level as they can.

“Staying warm this winter is first in all of our minds right now,” said state Sen. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston. “Given how expensive it will be, we need to take advantage of all available resources.”

Rotundo will host an energy conservation workshop at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday in the Lewiston City Council Chambers. The event is the latest in a series being hosted by local legislators around the state and is designed to provide people with information about resources available, both public and private.

The Maine State Housing Authority offers loans up of to $30,000 at a 3.95 percent interest rate to help homeowners pay for energy audits and conversions to alternative energy sources, like wood pellet stoves, solar panels, hot water heaters or geothermal. Many local banks also offer low-interest loans for home energy efficiency improvements. Representatives from each, in addition to members of Efficiency Maine, the Lewiston Fire Department, Community Concepts and local oil dealers will be at the workshop.

High oil prices are not just affecting homeowners. Small, local oil dealers are also being burdened.

“Most oil companies are offering more credit than they should and making smaller deliveries than they should,” David Martin, vice president of Webber Energy and chairman of Maine Oil Dealers Association, said at a legislative meeting in Augusta last week. Martin said small dealers often do not have the capital necessary to purchase oil from wholesalers and in some cases they end up taking out loans they cannot pay back.

“Family businesses are not well-positioned for this marketplace,” Martin said.

With small dealers going out of business more frequently, and often without much warning due to the volatile oil market, consumers who pre-pay for oil are left vulnerable.

Attorney General Steven Rowe is working on a lawsuit against Veilleux Oil & Service, a Biddeford-based oil provider accused of accepting money from customers and then refusing to deliver them oil. The lawsuit began after more than 100 customers complained about the company in early January.

David Loughran, spokesman for the attorney general, said the best thing consumers can do is get a written guarantee from their oil dealer when they pre-pay.

“According to Maine law, the contract must include that the performance of the pre-paid contract is secured,” Loughran said. “Do your homework upfront, shop around, use established companies and talk to friends and neighbors who have had contracts with companies before.”

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