Propane prices in Maine
$3.68per gallon
Average residential price, week of October 26, 2026. Updated weekly by EIA from a survey of Maine dealers.
How the price moved
- Since last week
- down−0.8¢ (−0.2%)
- Since a year ago
- up+51¢ (+16.2%)
- Since the season’s first survey (Oct 5, 2026)
- up+16¢ (+4.5%)
- New England average
- $3.92
- U.S. average
- $2.73
27th cheapest of the 38 states EIA surveys this week.
Is this a high price for Maine?
Maine propane is the most expensive it has been at this point in the season in at least 10 years: +35¢ above the previous high, set in 2022–23.
Up 51¢ (+16.2%) from a year ago, when it was $3.17.
Price in the same week of each of the last 10 seasons. Dot: this week.
- This season (2026–27)
- Last season (2025–26)
- Range of the 10 seasons before
Show the numbers
| Week | This season | Same week last season |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 5, 2026 | $3.522 | $3.134 |
| Oct 12, 2026 | $3.536 | $3.122 |
| Oct 19, 2026 | $3.687 | $3.130 |
| Oct 26, 2026 | $3.679 | $3.165 |
Cost to fill a propane tank in Maine
A 500-gallon tank refilled from 20% to 80% takes about 300 gallons: $1,104 at this week’s average.
Propane tanks are filled to 80% of their size to leave room for the liquid to expand. Gauges read percent of the full size.
$1,104
for 300 gallons at $3.68 a gallon in Maine.
- At last year’s price ($3.17): $950
- At the New England average ($3.92): $1,175
| Tank | Gallons delivered | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 120 gal | 72 | $265 |
| 250 gal | 150 | $552 |
| 330 gal | 198 | $728 |
| 500 gal | 300 | $1,104 |
| 1000 gal | 600 | $2,207 |
Cheapest way to heat in Maine
Cost of one million Btu of heat delivered into the house, after furnace or heat pump efficiency.
Right now natural gas is the cheapest heat here. Full winter cost comparison for Maine
When propane is cheapest
In 8 of the last 10 heating seasons, October was the cheapest month for propane in Maine. The median season ran 12.0% above October by March.
- base Oct 8/10
- +1.7% Nov 1/10
- +3.2% Dec 1/10
- +5.9% Jan 0/10
- +9.8% Feb 0/10
- +12.0% Mar 0/10
Top: median price compared with October across the last 10 complete seasons. Bottom: in how many of those seasons that month had the lowest average price.
Reading the pattern
This is what happened in past winters, not a forecast. Cold snaps, supply problems and crude oil prices can move any single season against the pattern, and propane also follows crop-drying demand in the fall and export markets.
Many dealers offer pre-buy or capped-price contracts in late summer. Whether they pay off depends on the winter that follows; the season chart above shows how far prices have moved in past years.
Season average of the weekly survey prices, October–March, in dollars of the day (not adjusted for inflation).
Propane across the survey
- North Dakota $1.75
- Iowa $1.75
- Nebraska $1.83
- Illinois $1.95
- South Dakota $1.95
- Wisconsin $2.01
- Minnesota $2.05
- Kansas $2.10
- Montana $2.18
- Missouri $2.23
- Colorado $2.37
- Oklahoma $2.38
- Michigan $2.46
- Utah $2.47
- Arkansas $2.48
- Indiana $2.62
- Idaho $2.69
- Ohio $2.70
- Kentucky $2.84
- Mississippi $3.15
- Texas $3.18
- Pennsylvania $3.21
- Tennessee $3.28
- Georgia $3.28
- Alabama $3.63
- North Carolina $3.64
- Maine $3.68
- Massachusetts $3.72
- New York $3.79
- Virginia $3.80
- Delaware $3.81
- Maryland $3.86
- New Hampshire $3.90
- Vermont $3.93
- New Jersey $4.10
- Rhode Island $4.12
- Connecticut $4.32
- Florida $4.97
Maine propane questions
What is the price of propane in Maine right now?
The average residential price was $3.679 a gallon the week of October 26, 2026, from EIA’s weekly survey. That is −0.8¢ from the week before. Prices from individual dealers vary, and many charge less for larger deliveries or cash payment.
How much does it cost to fill a 500-gallon tank in Maine?
About $1,104 for 300 gallons at this week’s average, filling from 20% to the 80% safe maximum. Use the calculator above for your own gauge reading.
Is propane cheaper than heating oil in Maine?
Per unit of heat, propane is cheaper this week: $47.33 versus $51.31 per million Btu delivered, assuming 85% efficient equipment for both. Comparing price per gallon alone is misleading because a gallon of heating oil holds about 51% more heat than a gallon of propane.
When is the best time to buy propane in Maine?
In 8 of the last 10 heating seasons, October was the cheapest month for propane in Maine. The median season ran 12.0% above October by March. Off-season fills (late spring and summer) are not in EIA’s weekly survey, so they cannot be compared here.
Where does this price come from?
From the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s State Heating Oil and Propane Program, which surveys residential prices every Monday from October through March and publishes them on Wednesday. See methodology.
Source and update
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Heating Oil and Propane Update, series W_EPLLPA_PRS_SME_DPG. Weekly data from Oct 1, 1990; 783 surveys on record. This page was rebuilt on November 4, 2026.
Prices include taxes and are averages of dealer quotes for residential delivery. Nominal dollars. EIA data page · All sources