The cost of most heating fuels rose in Maine this week, as the war in the Middle East drove up the cost of oil globally, according to new data from the Maine Department of Energy Resources.

The average price for a gallon of heating oil rose about 3.1% between Feb. 23 and March 2, hitting $3.94. Kerosene rose about 2.7% to $4.96 per gallon during that period, while propane fell one cent to $3.36, according to the department.

That’s significant for Mainers, who rely disproportionately on some form of oil to heat their homes in the winter.

In Greater Portland, the average price for a gallon of heating oil was $3.97 Monday, up from $3.84 a week before. Central Maine saw the highest average price at $4 per gallon.

Those figures, released Friday morning, reflect market conditions about two days after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran, sending shockwaves through the global oil market. In the days since, the price of oil has continued to climb, charting its largest weekly increase since the COVID-19 pandemic, Reuters reported.

The full picture of this week’s price increases should become clearer when data for the week of March 9 is released.

MAINE ‘ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE’

The department is “closely monitoring energy market impacts” of the conflict in the Middle East, said acting commissioner Dan Burgess.

“Maine’s dependence on imported fossil fuels makes the state especially vulnerable to global market volatility,” Burgess said in a written statement.

He recommended that people stay in touch with their fuel suppliers, keep track of the department’s price data and review its winter heating guide.

Though usage has dropped here in recent years, Maine is still the most heating oil-dependent state in the country, according to federal data.

About half of all Maine households relied on oil as their primary source of heat in 2024, the latest year for which data is available. About 8% of households got their heat from utility-delivered gas, and 16% used gas stored in tanks on their property.

About 13.5% of Maine households relied on electric heat and roughly 9.7% burned wood.

OIL ON THE RISE

In response to ongoing attacks by Israel and the United States, Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to fire upon any tanker that tries to pass through. About 20% of the world’s oil is usually shipped through the strait, which connects the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

In the days since the initial attacks, President Donald Trump has suggested the United States could offer naval escorts for vulnerable tankers. But it remains unclear when the flow of traffic could return.

Brent crude topped $90 a barrel Friday. That marks a roughly 24% increase since the beginning of the week. Meanwhile, Qatar’s minister of energy reportedly warned that oil and gas exporters could soon halt production if the strait remains closed.

Mainers began to notice rising prices at the gas pump early this week. In Maine, the average price for a gallon of regular was $3.21 Friday, up about 30 cents from a week earlier, according to data aggregated by AAA.