Maine has begun offering Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates, which can help eligible homeowners install certain high-efficiency HVAC equipment and make electrical system upgrades.

Crude oil, from which heating oil is refined, is set to average $34.60 per barrel in 2016, representing a steep drop from the $93.17-per-barrel average of 2014.

Traditionally, the approach of winter means a rise in fuel prices along with a steep drop in temperatures, but this year is looking to defy those expectations. Heating oil prices have fallen in several states. According to the U.S. Energy Information Association (EIA), those price drops are the beginning of a long-term trend rather than a short-term reprieve.