Hello, this is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.
Well, we're making pretty good progress shifting to other sources of energy to heat our homes, but Maine is still one of the most heating oil dependent states in the country. This reliance on heating oil makes us very vulnerable to shifts in global energy markets that drive up costs for Maine people and businesses. Maine people know firsthand that oil and kerosene, for instance, are some of the most expensive energy sources for home heat.
In 2022, oil reached a price of nearly $6 a gallon and kerosene went over $7 a gallon. All that money goes right out of state into the pockets of big oil, money that could be spent here at home on things you need.
While energy prices this winter are expected to remain similar to last year, volatile global markets and weather can still have a significant impact on heating bills here in Maine. My administration is doing everything we can to help Maine people save money on heating costs and stay comfortable in their homes this winter.
We're offering rebates to every Maine household that wants to install heat pumps, for instance. And this week, we released our annual winter heating guide. That winter heating guide has all the information you need to save money on your energy bill.
Are you interested in exploring heat pumps or using wood or propane to heat your home instead of oil or kerosene? Are you curious about energy assistance programs that could help you weatherize your home?
Do you need contact information for local community action agencies, MaineHousing, or EfficiencyMaine? People are out there waiting to help you make sure your home is tight and efficient before the coming winter hits you hard.
You know, we have one of the oldest housing stocks in the country here in Maine. I know what that's like--my house is pretty old as well. To weatherize these homes, it takes a lot of work, but there are rebates out there and help available to make you make your home tight and comfortable.
Our winter home heating guide has all the key information you need, as well as helpful tips, contact information and links to online resources.
You can view and download our 2024 Winter Heating Guide on my Energy Office's website at maine.gov/energy. That's maine.gov/energy.
As the weather gets colder, I encourage all Maine people to see how they can save money and stay warm through the winter by using our 2024 Maine Winter Heating Guide.
As I said, you can view that guide at maine.gov/energy.
I'm proud to say that thanks to our investments in clean energy between 2022 and 2023, Maine's reliance on heating oil has declined by more than 6%, and that's the largest yearly drop since at least 2010. In fact, the share of Maine's homes using heating oil has sharply declined from 70% in 2010 to just over 50% in 2023.
That's still a lot of homes who are sending money out of state to big oil companies to pay to heat their homes. Let's do it differently. Let's do it smartly.
My administration will continue to make it as affordable as possible to transition to efficient, clean energy sources like heat pumps, to save people money and make sure that we're not impacted by unstable global energy markets or extreme weather in the future.
This is Governor Janet Mills, and thank you for listening.