PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - That sound New Englanders are hearing in their basements - the sound of silence as their oil-burning furnaces sit idle - is saving them money as heating oil consumption drops with this season's warm temperatures.

Phyllis Bowie's furnace at her Buxton home has been kicking on just a fraction of what it would in a normal winter. She estimates that her oil consumption is down by more than 100 gallons so far because of the mild weather.Read this article in full with a
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