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:

Tank lease vs. own. A leased tank locks you to one supplier — they know it, and the price shows it. Owning your tank (roughly $1,700–$4,300 installed) lets you shop every fill. This is the single biggest lever most homeowners have.
Volume. Bigger annual usage and bigger fills get better per-gallon pricing. A 500-gallon tank filled at 80% is 400 gallons of negotiating weight; a 100-gallon tank is not.
Will-call vs. automatic delivery. Automatic-delivery customers often get better rates because the supplier can route efficiently. Will-call can mean spot pricing plus delivery fees — and a run-out means a service call, not just a delivery.
Fees on top of the gallon price. Hazmat, delivery, and service fees can add real money per gallon. Always ask for the all-in per-gallon number, not the headline rate.
Timing. The cheapest propane is usually bought in summer, not January. Pre-buy and price-cap contracts exist for exactly this reason — our fuel cost calculator lets you plug in a locked price.

Honest limits

The benchmark is weekly and seasonal. EIA surveys residential propane October through March. This tool uses the week ending October 5, 2026 — early-season prices usually run lower than January.
Thirteen states use a regional average. EIA surveys 38 states; 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. A “fair” price on 1,500 gallons still beats a “good deal” on paper if you burn twice the fuel — efficiency is the other half.

Where the benchmark comes from

EIA's Weekly Heating Oil and Propane Prices, residential propane, week ending October 5, 2026: $2.598/gal national average, with state figures where EIA surveys them (38 states) and PADD regional averages elsewhere. Refreshed each October when EIA weekly reporting resumes — 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 survey covers 38 states. 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 — owned tank, co-op buying, a summer pre-buy contract, 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 propane cheapest?

Usually summer, when demand is lowest — that is when 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.