Why the Iran War Will Make Heating Oil More Expensive for Some This Winter

Jonathan Robidoux, a Long Island resident, calls his heating oil supplier every fall to have his tank filled for the coming winter. He spent $1,200 on the fuel last winter. This year, he will likely pay a lot more. The price of heating oil, a fuel that is very similar to the diesel used in trucks, is up roughly 60 percent since Israel and the United States started attacking Iran on Feb. 28. The war has sent oil and fuel prices soaring, leaving Mr. Robidoux and many others facing difficult financial decisions. About 3 percent of U.S. households use heating oil, and most of them live in the Northeast or Alaska. Mr. Robidoux, who rents a home in New Hyde Park, N.Y., is trying to decide if he should buy heating oil now or wait until the weather gets colder, in the hope that prices will drop. “I might just buy some now, but I don’t have that much liquidity, so it’s a tough decision,” said Mr. Robidoux, 41. People who use natural gas or electricity to heat their homes are expected to face more modest increases in heating bills but many of them could also find it hard to make ends meet, energy experts said. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in . Want all of The Times? Subscribe .