500 Gallons of Propane Cost

The standard residential fill. National average $1,337 at $2.674/gal (EIA, week ending 30 March 2026). Volume-discount sweet spot, normal delivery scope, full per-state breakdown.

Latest EIA residential propane price

Source: EIA SHOPP residential propane survey. Current data is the final release of the 2025/26 heating season (week ending 30 March 2026). EIA pauses weekly publication April-September; next release expected October 2026. Refreshed 13 May 2026.

500 Gallons: What It Costs Today

National avg (retail)

$1,337

500 × $2.674 (EIA April 2026)

National avg (with 8% volume discount)

$1,230

Typical at 500-gal residential order

Cheapest state (Texas)

$1,092

$2.184/gal × 500 (retail)

Most expensive (Hawaii)

$2,075

$4.15/gal × 500 (PADD-5 fallback)

BTU delivered

45.75M BTU

Each gallon = 91,500 BTU

Heating coverage (2,000 sqft, moderate)

4-5 months

Includes water + cooking

500 Gallons of Propane Cost by State (Sample, April 2026)

EIA per-gallon residential price × 500. Add 0-3% for delivery; subtract 5-10% if your supplier offers a volume discount at this size (most do).

State	Price/gal	500-gal cost (retail)	With 8% volume discount
Texas	$2.184	$1,092	$1,005
Louisiana	$2.22	$1,110	$1,021
Florida	$2.55	$1,275	$1,173
Virginia	$2.78	$1,390	$1,279
Pennsylvania	$3.22	$1,610	$1,481
Vermont	$3.95	$1,975	$1,817
Hawaii	$4.15	$2,075	$1,909

See full pricing for all 50 states. Source: EIA Heating Oil & Propane Survey.

What 500 Gallons of Propane Buys

500 gallons = 45.75 million BTU. Practical translation depends on what's hooked up:

Whole-home heating, 2,000 sqft, moderate climate: 4-5 months (typical residential heating-season fill)
Whole-home heating, 2,000 sqft, cold climate: 2.5-3.5 months (often the post-Thanksgiving fill in NE / upper Midwest)
Whole-home heating, 3,500 sqft, cold climate: 1.5-2 months — consider sizing the next order at 1,000 gallons
Water heating + cooking only: 14-20 months — a single 500-gal fill stretches over a year
Backup generator at half load (5 kW continuous): ~330 hours (about 14 days continuous, or 30+ days of cycling backup)
Pool heater (50,000 BTU): ~915 hours of operation
20-lb BBQ cylinder refills: ~106 refills

For your specific home and appliance mix use the propane usage calculator.

Cost at Other Quantities

100 gal of propane

$267

500 gal of propane

$1,337

You are here

1,000 gal of propane

$2,674

500 Gallons of Propane: FAQ

How much does 500 gallons of propane cost in 2026?

At the April 2026 EIA national residential average of $2.674 per gallon, 500 gallons of propane costs about $1,337. Most suppliers offer a 5-10% volume discount at this size, taking the practical price to roughly $1,205-$1,275 in lower-priced states. The same 500 gallons in Texas runs about $1,092 at retail and as low as $983 with the volume discount. In Hawaii, 500 gallons hits $2,075 retail or $1,870 with discount. The volume discount typically waives any partial-fill or trip fee that would otherwise be added.

Is 500 gallons a normal residential propane order?

Yes — it's the most common residential delivery size in the US. A standard 500-gallon home tank holds 400 usable gallons (the 80% fill rule), so a top-up after the tank is roughly 1/4 full takes about 300 gallons, and a full fill from near-empty takes 380-400 gallons. Suppliers consider 500 gallons to be a 'will-call' or 'keep-full' standard delivery, not a partial fill. Most homes that heat with propane fill 2-3 times per year in this range.

What does 500 gallons of propane heat?

500 gallons delivers roughly 45.75 million BTU. In a 2,000 sqft home in moderate climate (mid-Atlantic, lower Midwest), 500 gallons covers about 4-5 months of whole-home heating including water heating, cooking, and a propane fireplace. In cold climates (New England, upper Midwest, Mountain West), expect 2.5-3.5 months. For homes that use propane only for water heating and cooking, 500 gallons stretches to 14-20 months. A propane backup generator at half load uses about 1.5 gal/hr, so 500 gallons sustains roughly 330 hours (~14 days) of continuous backup power.

When should you order more or less than 500 gallons?

Order more (750-1,000 gallons) if your tank capacity allows, you live in a cold climate with 1,200+ annual usage, or you want to lock in a lower per-gallon price. Suppliers typically offer 10-15% off retail at 1,000 gallons. Order less (200-300 gallons) if your tank can't accept 500, you're doing a summer top-off, or you're testing a new supplier before committing to a full fill. Below 200 gallons most suppliers add a partial-fill fee that erases any volume savings.

Why does 500 gallons cost so much more in some states?

Three drivers: feedstock proximity, market structure, and weather. PADD-3 (Texas, Louisiana) is closest to the Mont Belvieu hub and consistently 15-20% below national. PADD-1A (New England) and PADD-5 (West Coast and Hawaii) pay 30-60% premiums on top of higher delivery costs and (especially in NE) winter spot pricing. In single-supplier rural markets the lack of competition adds another 5-10%. The EIA per-state data captures retail averages but not delivery fees or volume discounts, so the realised 500-gallon price varies more than the table suggests.

About the author

Oliver Wakefield-Smith

Founder of Digital Signet, an independent research firm that builds data-led pricing and decision tools using public datasets. PropaneCostPerGallon.com is sourced from the EIA Weekly Heating Fuels Survey, with assumptions and refresh cadence documented on the methodology page.

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