Islanders choosing between food and heat as oil prices climb

As heating oil prices continue to climb, some Islanders — especially those on a fixed income — are left with a stark choice: do I heat or eat? 

For the second time in a week, the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission announced a price hike for home heating oil. On Tuesday, heating oil rose 21 cents per litre — and on Friday IRAC announced another 14 cent bump.

Christine MacCallum said she was disgusted to see heating oil price rise twice in one week. 

"I was beyond devastated," she said.

"This one was just total shock. I thought, 'Am I looking at the right date? Maybe this was posted from beforehand? It just can't be happening again in one week.'"

'You'll probably see more tent cities'

MacCallum said it's a price tag that affects everything in her life on a fixed income. When she goes to the grocery store, for example, she said she can't get what she wants — and barely gets what she needs. 

"It's a whole different way of life for us now, and it happened so quickly," MacCallum said. "You change what was a comfortable life to a scary life."

Every tenant I've worked with is getting by by the skin of their teeth.— Connor Kelly

She said she balances whether she'll buy her pills or oil today, or milk and bread the next day. It's a life of "what can I do without," she said, and "that's no way to live."

Connor Kelly is with the P.E.I. Fight for Affordable Housing and the Cooper Institute. He said he works with people who've seen significant rent increases as a result of rising heating costs. 

For people barely covering costs as it is, he said higher heating costs will make rents even less affordable than they are for many right now.

"They'll have to leave their homes," Kelly said. "If they can't pay their rent, they'll be evicted for a non-payment of rent." 

"You'll probably see more tent cities … every tenant I've worked with is getting by by the skin of their teeth."