ATTLEBORO, Mass. — Paquette Fuel is non-stop recently. Owner Mike Paquette is busy because he says people are trying to fill up their oil tanks before prices go up again.
“They’ll order one hundred gallons but most of them want to fill up because they know it’s going up,” said Paquette.
Oil is now $95.00 a barrel and that translates to $3.50 a gallon.
“Somebody gets 200 to 220 gallons then you’re talking $800.00 to $900.00 dollars for a fill-up,” said Paquette.
Paquette has been in the oil business for two decades and he’s never seen prices this high. “No, not like this, not like this. In the last two to three weeks oil’s been up $.40. It’s crazy right now,” said Paquette.
People are doing what they can to cope including Nathan Dafonseca who heats his home with oil. “Yep, oil heat at home,” says Nathan Dafonseca of Attleboro.
He says that’s offset because he has another way to heat his house. “Not too bad cause the pellet stove saves me,” he said.
Dafonseca sees higher prices at the pump too saying it’s getting expensive to fill his truck.
“This is about $140 dollars,” he said. And that’s a big difference from last year when it was half that price.
“Probably about $70.00 to $75.00,” said Dafonseca.
He is like many who are more and more frustrated by the ever-increasing price to fuel his truck and his house.
“To be honest with you they’re both horrible,” said Dafonseca.