What moves the number

The benchmark is an average. Your price moves off it for concrete reasons — these are the ones worth asking your supplier about, in order:

Service contract vs. oil-only. Many dealers bundle the annual burner tune-up and emergency service into the per-gallon price. A higher headline price with a real service contract can beat a cheap oil-only quote — ask what is included.
Automatic delivery vs. will-call. Automatic-delivery customers often get better rates because the supplier can route efficiently. Will-call can mean spot pricing — and a run-out means a service call, not just a delivery.
Price caps and pre-buy. Cap contracts set a ceiling while letting you float down; pre-buy locks a fixed price for the season. Both are priced in summer — our fuel cost calculator lets you plug in a locked price.
Volume. Bigger annual usage gets better per-gallon pricing. A 275-gallon tank at 90% is about 250 gallons of negotiating weight.
Fees on top of the gallon price. Delivery and service fees can add real money per gallon. Always ask for the all-in per-gallon number, not the headline rate.

Honest limits

The benchmark is weekly and seasonal. EIA surveys residential heating oil October through March. This tool uses the week ending October 5, 2026 — early-season prices usually run lower than January.
Twenty-nine states use a regional average. EIA surveys 21 states for heating oil; the rest get the closest PADD regional average, labeled in your result. Local markets run either side of it.
Verdict bands are our rule of thumb. Within 5% is fair, 5–15% is high, over 15% is way high. They are not a market standard — they are a starting point for the phone call.
This is the per-gallon price, not the winter. Multiply by your actual gallons for the season total.

Where the benchmark comes from

EIA's Weekly Heating Oil and Propane Prices, residential heating oil, week ending October 5, 2026: $6.042/gal national average, with state figures where EIA surveys them (21 states) and PADD regional averages elsewhere. Refreshed weekly from EIA's Wednesday release, October through March — see our home heating guide for the full fuel-price picture.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my state show a regional average instead of its own number?

EIA's weekly heating oil survey covers 21 states, concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest where oil heat is common. If yours is not one of them, the tool uses the closest PADD regional average and labels it. It is the best public benchmark available — your local market will run somewhat above or below it.

My price is below the benchmark. Is something wrong?

Probably the opposite — a service-contract discount, a summer price cap, co-op buying, or just a sharp supplier. The benchmark is an average of full-service residential deliveries; plenty of homeowners beat it legitimately.

Does the benchmark include delivery fees?

EIA's residential series reflects delivered prices from its dealer survey, but individual suppliers layer fees differently. When you call around, compare all-in per-gallon numbers, not headline rates.

When is heating oil cheapest?

Usually summer, when demand is lowest — that is when cap and pre-buy contracts are priced. January is the worst month to shop. If your verdict came back high in October, you still have time before heating season peaks.

Want the full heating picture? Read how home heating works for rural homes.