EIA residential propane, Illinois
Illinois propane prices: $2.03 a gallon
Latest EIA residential survey, week ending 30 March 2026, the final release of the 2025-26 heating season. Weekly updates resume in October; the wholesale benchmark below is live.
Two in-state refineries, one of the country's largest underground propane caverns and more than 100,000 farms sit behind the Illinois rate. The Chicago metro burns piped natural gas, so residential propane is a downstate and exurban market, priced on dense farm routes.
Latest EIA residential propane price
Source: EIA State Heating Oil and Propane Program, Illinois residential series. Refreshed automatically every Tuesday in season; wholesale daily.
Illinois at a glance
Latest survey$2.03/gal
vs week before-0.6c
vs 4 weeks before-4.2c
vs same week last year+2%
vs US ($2.67)24% below
Among 38 surveyed states6th cheapest
500-gal fill (400 usable)$810
Week by week, 2025-26 season
Illinois against the US average
Every point is an EIA survey week. This season Illinois ran from a low of $1.72 (6 Oct) to a high of $2.20 (9 Feb), with the US average finishing at $2.67. Against the same week a year earlier it is +2%.
$1.72
Season low
6 October 2025
$2.20
Season high
9 February 2026
$1.99
Same week last year
31 March 2025, now +2%
$0.85
Wholesale today
Mont Belvieu spot, 15 September 2026, +17c vs a month ago
Source: EIA State Heating Oil and Propane Program, residential propane, full-service delivery, published October to March. Wholesale is the Mont Belvieu, TX spot price; retail usually follows it by four to eight weeks, which makes it the best off-season signal of where Illinois prices are heading.
What a fill costs in Illinois at $2.03
Tanks fill to 80% of their stated size to leave room for expansion, so a 500-gallon tank takes about 400 gallons. The right-hand column is the difference against the same fill at the US average.
| Tank | Usable gallons | Fill at $2.03 | vs US ($2.67) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 gal | 80 gal | $162 | -$52 |
| 250 gal | 200 gal | $405 | -$130 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | $810 | -$259 |
| 1000 gal | 800 gal | $1621 | -$518 |
A Illinois home heating on propane through a typical winter burns 1,000 to 1,500 gallons, so fuel alone runs about $2026 to $3039 at this price, before tank rent or a service plan. The average is a benchmark, not a quote: enter your ZIP to ask up to three local dealers what they would charge you.
Illinois against its Midwest neighbours
The cheapest Midwest cluster (Nebraska, Iowa, the Dakotas, Kansas) hugs the Conway, Kansas storage hub and the central-plains network. Illinois sits in the next tier alongside Minnesota and Wisconsin, with Missouri, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio running higher, further from Conway and carrying longer last-mile routes through more populated terrain.
| State | Price/gal | 500-gal fill | vs US ($2.67) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | $1.64 | $657 | -39% |
| Iowa | $1.66 | $664 | -38% |
| North Dakota | $1.70 | $680 | -36% |
| South Dakota | $1.84 | $736 | -31% |
| Kansas | $1.98 | $791 | -26% |
| Illinois | $2.03 | $810 | -24% |
| Minnesota | $2.06 | $822 | -23% |
| Wisconsin | $2.07 | $826 | -23% |
| Missouri | $2.21 | $884 | -17% |
| Michigan | $2.37 | $948 | -11% |
| Indiana | $2.63 | $1054 | -1% |
| Ohio | $2.69 | $1078 | +1% |
| Midwest average | $2.07 | $828 | -23% |
States marked regional est. are not surveyed individually by EIA and carry their PADD regional figure. Full table on prices by state.
Why Illinois runs 24% under the national average
Illinois is not in the rock-bottom Midwest cluster hugging the Conway hub, but it clears well under the national mark. The reasons are structural and infrastructure-led: in-state refineries, in-state salt-cavern storage, and a large farm base that keeps routes dense year round.
In-state refinery LPG byproduct.
Phillips 66's Wood River refinery at Roxana in Madison County and Marathon's Robinson refinery in Crawford County both produce LPG as a routine byproduct of crude refining. That puts physical propane volume into Illinois with no interstate pipeline tariff, and it directly lowers wholesale costs for downstate marketers sourcing from those plants.
Mt. Vernon salt-cavern storage.
Illinois sits inside EIA Petroleum Administration for Defense District 2, the Midwest, the second-largest propane stock region in the country. Williams Companies operates one of the largest underground propane storage caverns in the US at Mt. Vernon, Illinois, with rail and pipeline links to Conway in Kansas, Mont Belvieu in Texas, and the Mid-Continent NGL grid. Illinois propane rarely travels far before it reaches a customer.
Agricultural route density.
Illinois is a top-three US corn state with more than 100,000 farms. Grain drying, livestock buildings and on-farm domestic use sustain a large year-round agricultural propane base across central and northern Illinois. Dense farm routes support more bobtails per supplier, lower per-gallon overhead and tighter competition along the I-55, I-57, I-72, I-74 and I-39 corridors, and residential customers benefit from infrastructure built primarily to serve farms.
A natural-gas metro that concentrates propane downstate.
Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane and McHenry counties are overwhelmingly served by Peoples Gas, Nicor and North Shore Gas natural-gas distribution. That concentrates residential propane demand into the exurban and rural counties where supply infrastructure is already optimised. The downstate market is large and competitive; the metro propane market is small and supplemental, and that segmentation helps keep the statewide average low.
Buying propane well in Illinois: four moves that decide the bill
A directory is step one. The gap between a careless account and a well-run one in Illinois is usually a few hundred dollars a winter, and here is where that money is won.
01
Vet beyond the membership list
Illinois regulates LP-Gas under 41 Ill. Adm. Code Part 200 (adopting NFPA 58) through the Office of the State Fire Marshal, but issues no per-company dealer licence to look up. Association membership is a starting signal, not a licence, so vet further: ask which technicians are CETP-certified, whether the bulk plant carries a current OSFM inspection, and whether they hold LP-Gas hauling insurance. The member roll is at ilpga.org. OSFM Fire Prevention and Building Safety: (217) 785-0969.
02
Lock summer, then top up in September
Midwest wholesale bottoms in late spring, so fill to 80% at summer-low rates in June or July, then top up to about 75% in early September before the October corn-drying draw pulls on supply. Ask for a cap-price contract, which keeps the saving if wholesale falls, over a flat pre-buy, and ask whether unused prepaid gallons roll forward.
03
Quote all three supplier tiers
Illinois runs a genuine three-tier market: national carriers (AmeriGas, Ferrellgas, Suburban), Illinois regionals and FS or GROWMARK-system farm cooperatives with in-state bulk storage, and single-county family independents. The directory spans all three tiers, so pull one written quote from each. Downstate the spread between the cheapest local and the priciest national quote can be wide. If you own your tank, say so up front, because it removes the switching penalty leased-tank customers face.
04
Check LIHEAP eligibility
Illinois LIHEAP, run by DCEO under the Help Illinois Families brand, helps propane households at or below 60% of state median income, with a Direct Vendor Payment straight to your supplier. Priority intake from October 1 covers age 60-plus, disability, children under 5, and near-empty tanks. Apply at helpillinoisfamilies.com or on 1-833-711-0374.
Rated by customers
Illinois propane dealers worth calling first
A short, hand-checked list with strong public review scores, spread across the state. Ratings were read from the platforms named in August 2026 and move over time; a high score is where to start, not a guarantee. Get three written quotes whoever you call.
Central Illinois
Hicksgas
Bloomington, Illinois
4.962 reviews, Birdeye
The Bloomington-Normal branch of a long-running Illinois propane operator, with residential delivery, tank service and cylinder refills across McLean County.
See the reviews ›Northern Illinois
Hicksgas Belvidere
Belvidere, Illinois
4.765 reviews, Birdeye
The Belvidere outlet covering Boone County and the Rockford area, a separate branch with its own strong public review record for delivery and service.
See the reviews ›Northeast Illinois (Grundy, Kankakee, Will)
Dibble Enterprises
Gardner, Illinois
4.445 reviews, Birdeye
Family-owned since 1986, delivering propane to homes, farms and businesses across 17 counties on the exurban edge of the Chicago collar and the I-55 corridor.
See the reviews ›East-central Illinois
Hicksgas Urbana
Urbana, Illinois
4.742 reviews, Birdeye
The Champaign-Urbana branch serving the university corridor and surrounding farm townships with residential and agricultural propane.
See the reviews ›West-central Illinois
Prairieland FS
Winchester, Illinois
4.411 reviews, Birdeye
A farm-supply cooperative running residential and agricultural propane across the west-central counties around Quincy, Pittsfield and the lower Illinois River valley.
See the reviews ›Verified on the state registry
8 of the 68 Illinois dealers on the IPGA register
| Dealer | City | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Ag View FS, Inc. | Princeton | (815) 875-2800 |
| Ag-Land FS, Inc. | Pekin | (309) 346-4145 |
| AGR Petroleum LLC | Le Roy | (309) 473-3797 |
| Allerton Propane, LLC | Fairmount | (217) 443-3813 |
| Arneson Oil Co | Sandwich | (815) 786-7670 |
| Ashland Propane, Inc. | South Holland | (708) 339-3400 |
| Big 4 Propane, Inc. | Clay City | (618) 676-1222 |
| Big B Agro, Inc. | Warrensburg | (217) 672-3513 |
Source: Illinois Propane Gas Association member directory, captured 25 August 2026. A registry listing is a licence record, not an endorsement.
Illinois propane, the questions people ask
Where do the dealers on this page come from?
The directory list is drawn from the Illinois Propane Gas Association member directory, the association's public list of Illinois marketer members, captured on 25 August 2026. It is important to be precise about what this is: association membership is voluntary, so it is a trade-association membership list, not a government licence registry, and Illinois does not issue a per-company propane dealer licence you could look up by number anyway. Being a member tells you a company is an active, in-industry Illinois marketer and gives you a number to call; it is not an endorsement, a ranking or a substitute for vetting. Confirm the operator against the checks in the vetting section, and get three written quotes before you sign. The rated shortlist above it is separate: a hand-checked set of dealers with strong public review scores.
How do I check that an Illinois propane supplier is legitimate?
Illinois regulates LP-Gas storage, transport, dispensing and installation under 41 Ill. Adm. Code Part 200, administered by the Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM), which adopts NFPA 58, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code. Part 200 does not create a per-company dealer licence. Instead, Section 200.100 requires that personnel performing installation, service, operation and maintenance be properly trained to the applicable NFPA standard, with training documentation available to the OSFM on request. Because there is no consumer licence-lookup page, vet a supplier a different way: ask which of their drivers and service technicians hold current CETP certification through the Propane Education and Research Council, ask whether their bulk plant carries a current OSFM inspection, and confirm they hold liability and cargo insurance for LP-Gas hauling. Membership in the Illinois Propane Gas Association, the roll behind the directory on this page, is a further signal that an operator is an established in-state marketer. Reach OSFM Fire Prevention and Building Safety on (217) 785-0969.
Am I eligible for LIHEAP through Illinois DCEO?
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is administered in Illinois by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Office of Community Assistance under the Help Illinois Families brand, and delivered through Local Administering Agencies, usually your county Community Action Agency. Core eligibility is household gross income at or below 60% of the state median income. Propane-heated households qualify alongside natural gas and electric customers, and the Direct Vendor Payment option pays your propane supplier on your behalf. For the 2025-2026 program year, applications run from October 1 through August 15, 2026, or until funds are exhausted. From October 1, priority intake covers households age 60 and over, households with a member who has a disability, families with children under 5, and any household disconnected, facing disconnection within 7 days, or with less than 25% left in the propane tank; all other income-eligible households can apply from November 1. Apply at helpillinoisfamilies.com or call 1-833-711-0374 to find your local agency. Bring 30 days of income proof and a recent propane delivery receipt or tank-gauge reading.
When is the cheapest time to fill a propane tank in Illinois?
For residential heating customers, the cheapest window is May through July, when Midwest wholesale bottoms before the fall agricultural draw. Most Illinois suppliers run pre-buy or cap-price enrollment across those summer months. The pricing risk in Illinois is October and November: the corn-drying season pulls millions of gallons of propane into on-farm dryers and grain elevators across central and northern Illinois, which can pinch residential supply and push spot prices up during a wet harvest. The tactical play is to fill to 80% at summer-low rates in late June or July, then top up to about 75% in early September before the harvest draw begins, and avoid topping up between December and February when winter wholesale spreads peak. At the current Illinois average of $2.03 a gallon, a 500-gallon refill (400 usable) costs $810, against roughly $932 at a winter-peak quote.
Why is propane cheaper in Illinois than the national average?
Illinois sits inside PADD 2, the Midwest district, on top of large-volume propane infrastructure. Phillips 66's Wood River refinery at Roxana and Marathon's Robinson refinery both produce LPG as a byproduct of crude refining, putting physical propane into the state with no interstate pipeline tariff. Williams Companies operates one of the largest underground propane storage caverns in the country at Mt. Vernon, Illinois, with rail and pipeline links to Conway, Kansas and Mont Belvieu, Texas. In-state refinery output, in-state salt-cavern storage and dense pipeline connectivity keep Illinois supply costs well under Northeast and West Coast markets. The current EIA Illinois residential average is $2.03 a gallon against the $2.67 national figure, though within the Midwest itself Illinois is not the cheapest: the states hugging the Conway hub run lower still.
How does pricing differ between downstate Illinois and the Chicago metro?
Downstate Illinois, broadly the Springfield, Bloomington, Decatur, Champaign, Peoria, Quincy and Carbondale catchments, has the densest propane customer base in the state and the most active competitive supply. Per-gallon rates downstate often sit below the Chicago collar counties because of route density, proximity to Wood River and Robinson refinery output, and proximity to Mt. Vernon storage. The Chicago metro (Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry, Kendall) is overwhelmingly served by natural gas via Peoples Gas, Nicor and North Shore Gas, so residential propane there is concentrated in exurban townships, standby generators and outdoor cooking: smaller volumes per route and higher per-gallon overhead. Generator demand also surges in metro Chicago after major spring and summer storms, which can briefly tighten cylinder-exchange and bobtail capacity.
How does the corn-drying season affect Illinois propane prices?
Illinois is a top-three US corn state with more than 100,000 farms, and grain drying is a major propane use. When corn and soybeans come off the field wet, on-farm and elevator dryers consume tens of millions of gallons of propane in a four-to-six-week window across Illinois, Iowa, Indiana and Minnesota. A wet October and November harvest can briefly pinch downstate residential supply and add to spot rates before the winter heating season has even started. That year-round agricultural base is part of why Illinois supply infrastructure is so dense, which helps residential pricing the rest of the year, but the harvest draw is the one predictable window when rural downstate prices can jump. The structural lesson for households: top up to 75 to 80% in early September, before the draw begins.
Keep reading
All Illinois dealers
The complete verified directory of 68 Illinois propane dealers, by city and ZIP.
Dealers near you
Enter a ZIP to see the closest dealers and ask up to three for a price.
Propane prices today
The daily wholesale benchmark and the live state summer surveys.
Prices by state
All 50 states side by side, with regional context.
What a fill costs
Tank sizes, the 80% rule and the national refill guide.
How to pay less
Pre-buy timing, switching, owned versus leased tanks.
500-gallon tank cost
Buy, install and refill costs for the most common rural-Illinois tank size.