Homeowners can expect to pay 30 percent more for their heating oil this winter, according to a energy outlook released by the Department of Energy. DOE economist David Costello blamed the higher prices largely on a rise in crude oil prices, which reached $19 a barrel last August - an increase of as much as $9 a barrel since last winter.
Consumers got treated to unusually low heating costs during the last two winters because of depressed oil prices and mild weather.