As winter descends upon Crete this month, sexy Petroula of Star TV, and all the other not-so-sexy weather experts are predicting an extremely cold season.

And, with the talk of frigid weather, many people have started thinking of the cost of heating fuel and what to expect this winter. 

According to published reports, while this year's fuel costs are expected to be lower than last year, they will vary from 59 to 63 cents in Crete, approximately 10 cents higher than the mainland.

To get some answers as to the discrepancy, this reporting team turned to Haris Mavrakis, whose trucks deliver heating fuel and is the president of the Petrol Station Owners Association.

"We, as an association, have also presented this issue about the Greek islands having a higher fuel price than the main land," Mr. Mavrakis said. "In meetings held at the Ministry of Development and with the committee on competition, they found that the operating costs in the islands and rural areas are higher because of double storage spaces and double transports. Their answers and explanations are not satisfactory but we still have to pay more."

Mr. Mavrakis went on to explain that customers do get charged a higher price if they want a small quantity.

"It's because a truck has the same expenses whether it carries 40 litres or 2000 or if the truck has to travel a long distance," he said. "Usually in Crete, because we all know each other, the fuel truck might come a day late in the chance of getting some more deliveries in your area so the price can stay at a lower level."

Also, in discussing costs Mr. Mavrakis suggested that customers service their central heating systems every year so that fuel burns cleaner and, of course, more economical. Another point he mentioned was that many people now connect the burner and the solar system so that the fuel doesn't only heat the home, but also the water for the bath.

Mr. Mavrakis, who operates five home fuel delivery trucks from his three petrol stations, was asked about some people complaining that they received bad fuel from another provider which smelled up the house.

 "The fuel quality is much higher now than earlier years," he stated. "All the fuel from the two Greek distilleries must fulfil certain requirements. And the heating fuel cannot be improperly diluted. It can only be mixed with its own by-products and the heating fuel is the cheapest petroleum by-product there is.

"Perhaps there could be a problem from the refinery, depending also on the country of origin. But I think the real problems exist with the boiler burners. If they are not serviced often they circulate fuel without burning it and that's where the smell can come from.  The heating fuel, especially these past two years, has come up in quality and has lowered the sulphur from 5000 ppm per ton to 1000."  

Mr. Mavrakis advised consumers to be aware of how much fuel their reservoirs hold and how much fuel is being delivered to them.