Heating costs squeeze Northwest Corner households

CORNWALL — Northwest Corner residents are buying heating oil in smaller quantities, spreading payments over the year and turning to firewood as rising prices put pressure on household budgets and heating-assistance programs.

Connecticut’s average heating-oil price reached $5.91 a gallon in the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Sept. 21 survey, up nearly 86% from the same week last year.

A 200-gallon delivery at that price costs about $1,182, compared with $635 a year ago — an increase of about $547.

Assistance dollars stretched

In Cornwall, Rebecca Hurlburt, the town’s social services director and municipal agent for the elderly, had eight appointments on Oct. 1, the first day of the town’s heating-assistance season.

Her biggest concern this year is that higher fuel prices will limit how far that assistance goes.

Cornwall’s Food and Fuel Fund helps low-income and vulnerable residents pay for heating, utilities and other emergency needs. It is supported by state grants Hurlburt applies for and monetary donations, she said.

The seasonal allowance remains $1,400 per household, according to Hurlburt. At $6 a gallon, that buys about 233 gallons of heating oil.

“The allotment amount is going to disappear at $6 a gallon,” Hurlburt said. “I don’t know how people are going to do it between the rising cost of gas, heating oil and food. It definitely creates anxiety and insecurity.”

In previous years, Hurlburt said, she might have been able to tell a client twice per season, “I’ll fill your tank.” Now, she may have to arrange smaller deliveries of about 100 gallons at a time.

Residents can also apply for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program, which provides basic heating benefits of $355 to $705 this year, usually paid directly to fuel suppliers or utilities.

Eligibility depends on household income and size. Annual income limits include $48,714 for someone living alone, $63,703 for a two-person household and $93,681 for a family of four. Applications are open for the 2026-27 season, with details at CT.gov/heatinghelp.

Hurlburt worries about what will happen as the winter progresses and assistance runs out.

“I really think people don’t get what’s going to happen this winter,” she said. “A month from now it could be worse. What happens when people run out [of assistance]?”

Cornwall has not seen a significant increase in residents seeking local assistance over the past three years, Hurlburt said, but she is unsure whether that will hold this season. The full impact of higher heating costs may become apparent in January, she said.

Residents change how they buy

Local fuel dealers are already seeing changes in how customers purchase and budget for heat.

At Klebe Fuel Co. in Winsted, Operations Manager Gerry Greco said participation in the company’s budget program is up about 10% from last year.

The company’s Flex-Pay plan divides estimated annual heating costs into monthly payments, helping customers avoid large bills when oil is delivered.

“We are having a lot more people go on budget programs,” Greco said.

For customers with limited or fixed incomes, he said, spreading out the expense can make payments more manageable. “They don’t have to come up with $1,000 to $2,000” at one time.

Greco said the company has also received more calls from customers asking about smaller deliveries, although the company’s minimum is 100 gallons.

Other customers are turning to alternative fuels or upgrading furnaces to improve efficiency, he said.

At Warren Valley Oil & Propane, which serves Litchfield County, co-owner and operator Ryan Curtiss said the company became busier earlier than usual this year. Many customers, he said, are locking in prices for the season through price protection plans.

Price protection plans help customers manage changes in heating-oil prices. Fixed-price contracts lock in a rate for a specified period or quantity, protecting customers from increases but holding that rate even if market prices fall. Meanwhile, capped-price plans set a maximum rate while allowing customers to benefit should prices drop, subject to the contract’s terms.

Customers interested in price protection should contact their fuel supplier for current offers, including the price per gallon, contract duration, minimum purchase and fees.

“We are definitely seeing a mix,” Curtiss said of the plans being selected.

Furthermore, some of his customers are taking minimum 100-gallon deliveries rather than filling their tanks while hoping prices will fall.

The market has been unusually volatile, Curtiss said, with prices sometimes moving 30 or 40 cents during a day before settling at a different level.

“It’s been very tricky for customers to try to identify the bottom as it has been for us to price it,” he said.

At Jasinski Fuel Service in Harwinton, owner Johnnie Jasinski said customers are similarly watching their wallets, particularly those living on fixed incomes.

“Right now, with the price of heating oil trending toward the higher side, they’re scared,” Jasinski said.

Some customers are taking 100- to 150-gallon deliveries and hoping prices eventually decline, he said. He also offers budget arrangements on a case-by-case basis, allowing customers to spread payments over the season.

His current retail price was $5.89 a gallon when he spoke with The Lakeville Journal on Oct. 2.

“I tell people, if you don’t need it right away, don’t buy it,” Jasinski said, explaining that he watches the market and will call customers when he sees prices moving lower.

Turning to wood for supplemental heat

Higher heating-oil costs are also prompting some homeowners to turn to firewood for supplemental heat.

At Slate Ridge Farm in Sharon, owners Chris Andrews and Chelsea Weintraub said their firewood business is experiencing its busiest season in the three years they have been selling wood.

Normally, Andrews said, the peak buying season runs from October through December. This year, customers began placing orders in June, July and August.

“This year it started earlier,” Andrews said, noting that one returning customer bought three times the usual amount of firewood, something the business had not seen in previous years.

Slate Ridge sells kiln-dried firewood for $690 a cord and seasoned firewood for $520 a cord. The wood is harvested from the 125-acre farm. Andrews said the kiln-dried price had been about $580 a cord before rising diesel and other operating costs pushed it higher.

Delivery is included in the per-cord price for customers in Sharon and nearby Amenia, N.Y. Deliveries elsewhere within the farm’s Northwest Corner service area come with an additional charge, Andrews said. Although he receives inquiries from across Connecticut, he limits deliveries to the local area.

Andrews said several customers are switching to outdoor wood-burning furnaces, which heat water that is then circulated to the home’s heating system.

He estimated the systems can cost $15,000 or more.

Jasinski said he has also seen increased interest in firewood for supplemental heat, which also stems from the July 4 storm that knocked down so many trees.

“I know the price of oil is ridiculous,” Jasinski said, “but you have to be careful when the temperature drops below freezing.”

He cautioned that supplementing oil heat with wood requires keeping enough warmth throughout the home to protect pipes.

“Trying to conserve on extra oil by using wood could cost more in the long run,” he said, warning that frozen and burst pipes can cause major damage.