Heating oil costs 74% more than last fall. Here is what that means for a Cape Ann home, and where to get help

Heating oil in Massachusetts costs $6.18 a gallon this week. A year ago it was $3.56. That is a 74 percent jump in one year, according to the state's weekly survey of full service dealers.

For a Cape Ann home that burns about 800 gallons a winter, that works out to roughly $4,900 this season instead of $2,850. The difference is about $2,100.

Use our heating oil calculator to see your own number. Pick your tank size or your home size, enter how many times you filled up last year, and compare.

What happened

Prices were normal through most of last winter. The state survey showed $3.55 a gallon in October 2025 and about $3.80 in December. Then in early March 2026 the price jumped more than a dollar in one week, to $5.44, after the war in Iran drove up world oil prices. It never came back down. By late March it was $5.77. The first survey of this heating season, on Oct. 5, came in at $6.11. This week it is $6.18.

Gasoline followed the same path. Regular gas in Massachusetts averaged $4.30 a gallon for the week ending Oct. 5, compared with $2.98 the same week last year. That is up 46 percent.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts responded on Oct. 5. Gov. Maura Healey signed Executive Order No. 659, which declares a State of Energy Emergency through April 30, 2027. The order:

• Adds $15 million to the state's fuel assistance program, called HEAP, and raises benefits 20 percent for oil heated homes and 15 percent for homes heated by gas or electricity.
• Creates a new one time payment of up to $680 for middle income households that heat with oil.
• Removes the solar charge, called SMART, from electric bills from January through March, and cuts another clean energy charge in half for the winter.
• Tells Massachusetts state agencies and departments to watch for and act on price gouging on heating oil and propane.

What one delivery costs now

Most Cape Ann homes have a 275 gallon tank. A normal fill is about 200 gallons. Many dealers charge more per gallon for deliveries under 100 gallons.

What Cape Ann dealers are offering

Cape Ann has at least seven heating oil dealers based in Gloucester, Rockport and Essex. None of them posts a price online, so you have to call. Here is what each lists on its website, as of Oct. 13, 2026.

Discount dealers from Hamilton, Peabody, Lynn and Danvers also deliver to Cape Ann. On Oct. 13 their posted prices ran from about $5.25 to $6.15 a gallon, usually for cash or card with a 100 or 150 gallon minimum and no service plan. The state survey covers full service dealers, which is why its average is higher. Posted discount prices change daily, so check before you order.

Before you sign a contract. The state's heating oil contracts guide says to ask three things. Is there a fee to lock in a price? If the market drops, do you get the lower price? What does "while supplies last" mean for a pre buy? Oil dealers are not licensed in Massachusetts, so the contract is your only protection. Read it. The Attorney General's consumer line is 617-727-8400.

Where to get help

Fuel assistance (HEAP). This is the biggest program. It pays part of your heating bill no matter what fuel you use, and it is for renters too, even if heat is in your rent. Income limits for this season are $53,585 for one person, $70,073 for two, $86,561 for three and $103,049 for four. The season runs Nov. 1 to April 30, but applications opened Oct. 1. Apply through Action Inc., 180 Main St., Gloucester, 978-281-3900, or online at toapply.org/ACTION. First time applicants need a short interview by phone or in person. Applying for HEAP also signs you up for free heating system repairs (a program called HEARTWAP) and free weatherization.

New: middle income heating oil relief. If your household earns more than the HEAP limit but less than $89,308 for one person, $116,788 for two, $144,268 for three or $171,749 for four, and you heat with oil, you can get a one time payment of up to $680. Applications open in December through Action Inc. The state has a sign up form on its middle income relief page so you hear when it opens.

Cold Relief Heatline. 800-632-8175, or dial 211. Call if you are out of oil or close to it.

National Grid. Gas and electric customers who qualify for HEAP also qualify for the discount rate. No one who cannot pay can be shut off between Nov. 15 and March 15 if they need the heat, but you have to tell National Grid. The Arrearage Management Program forgives part of an old balance each time you make a payment on time.

Mass Save. A free home energy assessment is open to everyone, and it is the first step to the 0 percent HEAT Loan of up to $25,000 for a new furnace, boiler or heat pump. Households at 60 to 80 percent of the state median income can get no cost insulation and air sealing, and up to $16,000 toward heat pumps. Standard heat pump rebates run up to $8,500 for systems installed by Dec. 31, 2026.

Salvation Army Good Neighbor Energy Fund. For households just over the HEAP limit who hit a rough month. 800-334-3047.

Citizens Energy. The old Joe 4 Oil program is not running. Citizens Energy and the Commonwealth started an Emergency Winter Warmth Fund this month. The money goes to local agencies like Action Inc., so apply there.

Seniors. The Senior Circuit Breaker tax credit is worth up to $2,820 on your state return if you are 65 or older and own or rent your home. Each town's council on aging can help with the paperwork. The Essex Council on Aging is at 17 Pickering St., 978-768-7932.

What to watch

The state publishes a new heating oil price every week through March. We post it on our home page, with the same week last year for comparison. The state's winter heating cost report, which projects a full season's bill by fuel, is due out later this month. We will update the calculator when it lands.

Earlier coverage: Fire Prevention Week: check your alarms, charge with care and give space heaters room this winter (Oct. 8), heating safety tips from state fire officials and where to find fuel assistance.

How we built this comparison. Date: Oct. 13, 2026. Sources: the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources weekly heating oil survey (this week, last week, same week last year); the U.S. Energy Information Administration weekly Massachusetts series for gasoline and heating oil history; Executive Order No. 659 and state program pages for assistance rules; dealer websites for programs. Unit: dollars per gallon, full service price, deliveries of 100 gallons or more, before cash discounts. Why these sources: the state survey is the only weekly price that covers the whole Commonwealth, and it is the figure Massachusetts state agencies and departments use for aid. What is missing: no Cape Ann based dealer posts a price online, so your local price may differ from the state average. The 800 gallon example is a typical figure for an older single family home, not a measured Cape Ann average. HEAP benefit amounts for this season were not posted when we checked.