Brief
Maine families struggle as heating oil prices jump 79% amid Iran war
The price surge has forced a Freeport family to rely on firewood donations and limited free oil allocations.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Heating oil prices in Maine have surged from $3.34 per gallon a year ago to $5.97 today, a rise of roughly 79%, CBS News reported on Oct. 16, 2026. The jump comes as the Iran war drives up fuel costs nationwide.
What happened
Chris and Cheryl Oliver, a couple in Freeport, Maine, earn about $60,000 a year and now face a choice between food and gasoline, according to Cheryl Oliver’s interview with CBS News. The family qualified for 100 gallons of free heating oil from a local community center, worth about $700, but the amount is insufficient for the winter.
What the reports add
CBS News noted that more than 4 million U.S. households use heating oil as their primary fuel, with 82% of those homes located in the Northeast. Tony DiMarco, co‑founder of the Freeport Wood Bank, said demand for firewood is "extremely high" and that the bank can supply about 50 families before its stock runs out mid‑winter.
What was said
"Am I going to get food this week, or am I going to get gas this week?" Cheryl Oliver told CBS News. She later added, "I was panicking, like, how are we going to fill our tank and how are we going to stay warm?" Tony DiMarco told the outlet, "I don't think people fully recognize how big of an impact it's going to have when heating oil costs twice as much as it did last year." Chris Oliver said, "Tony and that place, they're unbelievable. I don't know without them if we'd have heat."
How it came about
The price spike follows the Iran conflict that earlier in September prompted Felo News to report on a nationwide heating‑oil surge (Heating Oil Prices Surge Amid Iran War). The Oliver family's situation illustrates the personal toll of that broader market trend.
Key facts
- Maine heating oil price rose from $3.34 to $5.97 per gallon, a 79% increase. (cbsnews.com)
- The Olivers qualified for 100 gallons of free heating oil worth about $700. (cbsnews.com)
- More than 4 million U.S. households use heating oil, 82% of them in the Northeast. (cbsnews.com)
- Freeport Wood Bank can supply firewood to about 50 families before running out mid‑winter. (cbsnews.com)
Sources
- [1] cbsnews.com — originally reported as “Soaring heating oil prices put struggling Maine families in a bind as winter nears: "How are we going to stay warm?"”
