LUZERNE COUNTY, Pa. -- Temperatures in December and so far this January have been above average and that means workers at Newell Fuel in Luzerne County's Back Mountain have not been overwhelmed with calls from homeowners desperate to heat their homes.
“It's been very mild, it's been easy working so far and nobody's been running out of fuel,” said Brian Sweigart of Newell Fuel Service.
This week, calls have spiked with news of an icy blast on the way.
"Especially when there's the threat of a storm as well, like they're saying a storm on the weekend? A lot of people are nervous and want to be ordering fuel," said Seth Thomas of Newell Fuel Service.
Workers at Newell said they have been starting early and working late to fill the demand.
Last winter, they said they worked overtime a lot because of the frequent freezing temperatures.
This winter, so far, has been mild in comparison.
"Last year at this time, we were working as much time as the law would allow us to work for driving and trying to keep up and trying to keep people running,” said Sweigart.
Workers said they do not mind the longer hours.
"It’s the business that we're in and you kind of get used to it over the years," said Thomas.