EIA residential propane, Kentucky
Kentucky propane prices: $2.94 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.
One state, two propane markets. The Bluegrass and the Bourbon Trail run dense, competitive routes off in-state refinery output; the Appalachian east runs long mountain routes where propane is the only heat in the hollow.
Latest EIA residential propane price
Source: EIA State Heating Oil and Propane Program, Kentucky residential series. Refreshed automatically every Tuesday in season; wholesale daily.
Kentucky at a glance
Latest survey$2.94/gal
vs week before+2.5c
vs 4 weeks before+7.6c
vs same week last year+4%
vs US ($2.67)10% above
Among 38 surveyed states19th cheapest
500-gal fill (400 usable)$1174
Week by week, 2025-26 season
Kentucky against the US average
Every point is an EIA survey week. This season Kentucky ran from a low of $2.45 (6 Oct) to a high of $3.06 (9 Mar), with the US average finishing at $2.67. Against the same week a year earlier it is +4%.
$2.45
Season low
6 October 2025
$3.06
Season high
9 March 2026
$2.83
Same week last year
31 March 2025, now +4%
$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 Kentucky prices are heading.
What a fill costs in Kentucky at $2.94
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 $2.94 | vs US ($2.67) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 gal | 80 gal | $235 | +$21 |
| 250 gal | 200 gal | $587 | +$52 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | $1174 | +$105 |
| 1000 gal | 800 gal | $2349 | +$210 |
A Kentucky home heating on propane through a typical winter burns 1,000 to 1,500 gallons, so fuel alone runs about $2936 to $4404 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.
Kentucky against its South neighbours
The cheapest Southern markets (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana) sit closest to Gulf Coast production with the shortest haul distances and price below Kentucky. Kentucky benefits from in-state Marathon refinery output and Marcellus pipeline access but pays a small premium versus those low-cost Gulf states for inland-hub economics, landing near the South regional norm.
| State | Price/gal | 500-gal fill | vs US ($2.67) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $2.27 | $909 | -15% |
| Arkansas | $2.37 | $947 | -11% |
| Louisiana (regional est.) | $2.93 | $1172 | +10% |
| Kentucky | $2.94 | $1174 | +10% |
| Texas | $2.99 | $1196 | +12% |
| Mississippi | $3.05 | $1221 | +14% |
| Georgia | $3.16 | $1266 | +18% |
| Tennessee | $3.25 | $1299 | +21% |
| North Carolina | $3.45 | $1380 | +29% |
| South Carolina (regional est.) | $3.51 | $1405 | +31% |
| West Virginia (regional est.) | $3.51 | $1405 | +31% |
| Alabama | $3.52 | $1406 | +31% |
| Virginia | $3.56 | $1426 | +33% |
| Maryland | $3.74 | $1496 | +40% |
| Florida | $4.71 | $1882 | +76% |
| South average | $3.26 | $1304 | +22% |
States marked regional est. are not surveyed individually by EIA and carry their PADD regional figure. Full table on prices by state.
Why Kentucky runs 10% over the national average
Kentucky sits cheaper than the Northeast but a step above the lowest-cost Gulf states like Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. The reasons are structural: in-state refinery output and pipeline access that pull prices down, an Appalachian belt that pushes them up, and metro natural-gas dominance that decides where bulk capacity actually sits.
Marathon Catlettsburg refinery and pipeline access.
Marathon Petroleum's Catlettsburg refinery in Boyd County, running roughly 280,000 barrels a day, is Kentucky's only oil refinery and a regional source of LPG by-product. The state also sits across NGL pipeline routes carrying Marcellus and Utica gas-processing output from Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Both hold Kentucky wholesale comfortably below Northeast terminal pricing, though inland trucking margins and Appalachian route overhead absorb part of that edge before it reaches residential meters.
The Eastern Kentucky Appalachian belt.
Across the eastern third of the state (Pike, Floyd, Letcher, Harlan, Perry, Knott, Breathitt and surrounding), natural-gas mains rarely reach into the hollows, so propane is the primary residential heating fuel rather than a backup. Sparse population on long routes, narrow mountain roads, and often just one or two dealers per route push per-gallon overhead up. This region structurally pays about 20 to 40 cents a gallon above the statewide average.
Louisville and Lexington natural-gas dominance.
Dense residential natural-gas distribution in the Louisville (LG&E) and Lexington (Columbia Gas of Kentucky) metros confines propane there to outer suburbs, rural pockets and back-up or commercial use. With the two biggest metros largely served by gas mains, most state-level residential route economies play out in the mid-sized cities: Bowling Green, Owensboro, Paducah, Elizabethtown and Richmond.
Bourbon-Trail commercial anchor.
Kentucky distillers are sizeable propane and gas customers, and that commercial demand has drawn supplier investment in bulk storage near the Bourbon-Trail counties (Nelson, Anderson, Franklin, Woodford, Bullitt). The stored volume supports denser residential routes and more competitive quotes in those counties, which typically see the sharpest residential propane pricing in the state.
Buying propane well in Kentucky: four moves that change the bill
A licensed dealer list is step one. The gap between a careless fill and a well-run propane account in Kentucky is usually a few hundred dollars a winter. Here is where that money is won.
01
Confirm the DHBC licence
Any operator storing, delivering, dispensing, or installing LP-gas for Kentucky consumers must hold an active licence from the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction under 815 KAR Chapter 30. Search the company at the DHBC licensee search or call (502) 573-0364. Insurance, inspection standing, and dispute recourse all hang on that licence.
02
Lock spring, not autumn
Kentucky wholesale bottoms from May through July before the next winter's pre-buy window opens. Most Kentucky suppliers run pre-buy enrollment from May 1 to August 31, typically 20 to 40 cents a gallon below the prior winter's spot peak. Ask for a cap price (you keep the saving if wholesale falls) rather than a strict pre-buy, and in Western Kentucky tobacco counties lock before mid-August ahead of the curing draw.
03
Own the tank, especially out east
Renting a tank from your supplier locks you to that supplier. Owning it lets any licensed dealer fill, which is the single strongest lever in Eastern Kentucky, where a mountain route may have only one or two dealers. Per-gallon spreads of 30 to 50 cents within a single county are routine, so get a written quote from more than one dealer and say up front that you own your tank. In the Jackson Purchase and far Western Kentucky, Blue River Propane of Mayfield is a well-regarded local option worth a quote.
04
Check LIHEAP eligibility
Kentucky's LIHEAP, run by CHFS through DCBS and delivered by Community Action Kentucky, helps households at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. The Subsidy component opens in early November; the Crisis component opens in early January for out-of-fuel or shut-off situations. Propane qualifies. Find your agency at capky.org/network or call 1-800-456-3452. Apply early: Crisis funds are first-come, first-served.
Rated by customers
Kentucky 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.
Louisville metro
Commonwealth Propane
Louisville, Kentucky
5.09 reviews, Birdeye
Independent Louisville supplier on Cane Run Road, the highest-rated propane name in the metro on Birdeye at the time of writing.
See the reviews ›Northern Bluegrass / Cincinnati suburbs
Northern Kentucky Propane
Cynthiana, Kentucky
4.458 reviews, Birdeye
Cynthiana-based operator serving the northern Bluegrass and the Cincinnati-adjacent counties, with the deepest verified review base of any dealer on this list.
See the reviews ›Southeastern Kentucky / Cumberland foothills
Jackson Propane Plus
London, Kentucky
4.320 reviews, Birdeye
Full-service local dealer with locations in London, Beattyville and Bonnyman, covering the Appalachian foothills where propane is often the primary heat.
See the reviews ›Northeastern Kentucky / FIVCO region
Arrick's Propane
Grayson, Kentucky
5.07 reviews, Chamber of Commerce
Family operator serving northeastern Kentucky and southern Ohio for more than 60 years, with delivery points at Grayson and Flemingsburg.
See the reviews ›South-central & southern Kentucky
Advanced Propane
serving Somerset & southern KY, Kentucky
5.0137 reviews, Birdeye
Kentucky-licensed dealer serving the southern counties from a base just across the Tennessee line; its score spans the full southern-Kentucky and Middle-Tennessee service area.
See the reviews ›Verified on the state registry
8 of the 262 Kentucky dealers on the DHBC register
Source: Kentucky DHBC HAZMAT / LP-Gas licence registry, captured 22 August 2026. A registry listing is a licence record, not an endorsement. Confirm current standing on the DHBC licensee search.
Kentucky propane, the questions people ask
Where do the dealers on this page come from?
The registry list is drawn from the Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC) HAZMAT/LP-Gas licence registry, the state's public record of licensed liquefied-petroleum-gas businesses under KRS Chapter 234 and 815 KAR Chapter 30, captured on 22 August 2026. The Kentucky export lists company name, licence class, and licence number only, so we do not publish contact details the state record does not contain. Being on the registry is not an endorsement, so still confirm current standing with the DHBC licensee search and get written quotes before you sign. The rated shortlist above it is separate: a hand-checked set of dealers with strong public review scores.
What do the Kentucky LP-gas licence classes mean?
Kentucky licenses LP-gas businesses in five classes, A through E, defined by KRS 234.120(1)(a)-(e) and administered by DHBC. The three dealer-tier company classes are Class A, B and C. The clearest objective difference between them is the financial-responsibility requirement set in 815 KAR 30:010: a Class A licensee must carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance, Class B and C must carry $500,000, and the individual Class D installer credential carries $100,000. Class A is therefore the broadest company credential, typically held by the bulk-storage-and-delivery operators, while Class D is a personal installer or technician licence rather than a company one, which is why it is excluded from this dealer directory.
How do I check whether a Kentucky propane company is licensed?
Any business that stores, delivers, dispenses, or installs LP-gas systems for Kentucky consumers must hold an active LP-gas licence from the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC), within the Public Protection Cabinet, under 815 KAR Chapter 30. Verify a company at the DHBC public licensee search (dhbc.ky.gov/Search/HBC_List_Licensees.aspx) or call the department at (502) 573-0364. Do not take delivery from an unlicensed operator: unlicensed LP-gas activity is prohibited under KRS Chapter 234, and insurance, tank-inspection standing, and dispute recourse all depend on a current licence.
Am I eligible for LIHEAP propane assistance in Kentucky?
Kentucky's Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is administered by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services through the Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) and delivered locally by the Community Action Kentucky agency network. For the 2025-2026 program year, households qualify at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, with a liquid-resource limit of $2,000 (raised to $4,000 where a household member has a catastrophic illness and the assets fund medical and living costs). There are two heating components: the Subsidy component opened 3 November 2025 on a first-come, first-served basis through 12 December 2025, and the Crisis component ran 5 January 2026 through 27 March 2026 for households out of fuel or facing shut-off. Propane qualifies alongside electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, kerosene, coal and wood. Find your local agency at capky.org/network or call 1-800-456-3452, and apply early because Crisis funds are first-come, first-served.
Why are propane prices in Eastern Kentucky higher than in the Bluegrass?
Eastern Kentucky's Appalachian counties (Pike, Floyd, Letcher, Harlan, Perry, Knott, Breathitt and surrounding) carry a structural premium of roughly 20 to 40 cents a gallon versus Lexington, Louisville and Northern Kentucky. Three drivers: route density, where bobtail trucks cover fewer customers per mile on mountain roads; limited natural-gas service in many hollows, which makes propane the primary heating fuel rather than a backup and concentrates winter demand; and longer haul distances from the in-state bulk terminals sited near central-Kentucky rail and pipeline taps. Households west of I-75 usually have several supplier choices and can play one quote against another; households on a single-supplier mountain route generally cannot. Owning your tank is the strongest lever in Eastern Kentucky, because it lets any licensed dealer fill, even one based an hour away.
How does Kentucky's bourbon industry affect propane demand?
Kentucky produces roughly 95% of the world's bourbon, and a meaningful share of that production runs on propane and natural gas for mash cooking, still operation, winter barrel-warehouse heating, and bottling-line steam. The large distillers (Beam Suntory, Brown-Forman, Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey, Maker's Mark) buy on long-term commercial contracts at rates well below residential, so the $2.94 a gallon residential headline is unaffected by distillery purchasing. What it does change is supplier competition: dealers running large commercial-bourbon accounts spread their bulk-storage capex across that volume, which lets some quote sharper residential rates. The Bourbon Trail counties (Nelson, Anderson, Franklin, Woodford, Bullitt) generally see the most competitive residential propane pricing in the state for this reason.
Does Western Kentucky tobacco curing still pull on propane supply?
Yes, though less than 20 years ago. Kentucky was historically a top-two US tobacco producer and propane-fired curing barns were standard in the burley and dark-fire counties. Production shrank materially after the 2004 federal buyout, but late-summer curing (roughly August through October in Western Kentucky) still creates a real seasonal draw on bulk-plant inventory in counties such as Christian, Logan, Todd, Graves, Calloway and Webster. The effect on residential pricing is a modest September shoulder-season uptick of a few cents a gallon in those counties before winter heating demand drives the broader spread. If you live in a Western Kentucky tobacco county, lock a pre-buy or cap-price contract before mid-August rather than waiting into September.
When is the cheapest time to buy propane in Kentucky?
Late spring through midsummer, roughly May through July. Kentucky wholesale propane follows the national seasonal curve: prices bottom after the heating season ends and before the next winter's pre-buy window opens, then peak in January and February when cold-snap demand strains regional storage. Most Kentucky suppliers run pre-buy enrollment from May 1 to August 31, typically 20 to 40 cents a gallon below the prior winter's spot peak. If your tank is below 40% in October, fill it rather than waiting into December. The single biggest structural saving is owning your tank instead of renting from your supplier, because ownership lets you shop on price every fill instead of being locked to one dealer.
Keep reading
All Kentucky dealers
The complete verified directory of 262 Kentucky 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 residential tank size.