EIA residential propane, Maryland
Maryland propane prices: $3.74 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.
Census puts Maryland in the South; its propane market behaves like the Northeast. Gas mains own the Baltimore-Washington core, so propane is an Eastern Shore, Southern Maryland and mountain-county business, and the right first call depends entirely on where you live.
Latest EIA residential propane price
Source: EIA State Heating Oil and Propane Program, Maryland residential series. Refreshed automatically every Tuesday in season; wholesale daily.
Maryland at a glance
Latest survey$3.74/gal
vs week before+1.0c
vs 4 weeks before+3.1c
vs same week last year+1%
vs US ($2.67)40% above
Among 38 surveyed states32nd cheapest
500-gal fill (400 usable)$1496
Week by week, 2025-26 season
Maryland against the US average
Every point is an EIA survey week. This season Maryland ran from a low of $3.46 (6 Oct) to a high of $3.74 (30 Mar), with the US average finishing at $2.67. Against the same week a year earlier it is +1%.
$3.46
Season low
6 October 2025
$3.74
Season high
30 March 2026
$3.70
Same week last year
31 March 2025, now +1%
$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 Maryland prices are heading.
What a fill costs in Maryland at $3.74
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 $3.74 | vs US ($2.67) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 gal | 80 gal | $299 | +$85 |
| 250 gal | 200 gal | $748 | +$213 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | $1496 | +$427 |
| 1000 gal | 800 gal | $2993 | +$854 |
A Maryland home heating on propane through a typical winter burns 1,000 to 1,500 gallons, so fuel alone runs about $3741 to $5612 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.
Maryland against its South neighbours
The Census Bureau places Maryland in the South alongside the Gulf-Coast states, but its propane market behaves nothing like theirs. Distance from Gulf production, natural-gas dominance in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, and rural route economics put it in a different cost structure from Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma or Virginia. The regional average is pulled down by the cheap Gulf states and lifted by Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
| 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 Maryland runs 40% over the national average
Maryland is grouped with the South, but it prices next to Delaware and Pennsylvania, the Northeast tier. The reasons are structural and slow to change: supply geography, a natural-gas-dominated urban core, and expensive rural routes.
No Gulf-Coast supply access.
Most US propane comes off Gulf-Coast and Marcellus gas processing. Maryland sits at the end of that chain, drawing supply largely through the Marcus Hook complex near Philadelphia and Pennsylvania and New Jersey rail-to-truck terminals. Every transfer adds margin before retail markup, which is why Gulf-adjacent South states sell well below Maryland.
Natural gas owns the urban core.
BGE serves central Maryland and Washington Gas covers Montgomery, Prince George's and parts of Frederick County by natural-gas main. That is the densest residential terrain in the state. Propane is left to serve the Eastern Shore, Western Maryland, Southern Maryland and outlying parcels, a smaller, more dispersed customer base with weaker route economies.
Rural routes on both edges of the state.
East of the Chesapeake the gas utilities never ran mains, so propane is the primary heating fuel across a rural population: each delivery truck covers more miles per gallon sold, and that overhead prices in, with hurricane-season generator demand adding a summer premium during named-storm weeks. In the west, Garrett and Allegany counties combine the state's highest propane share with mountain terrain, winter-restricted access roads, and a heavy Deep Creek Lake second-home book, so suppliers there run above the statewide average to cover the extra truck time and winter access risk.
An electrification tilt, not a ban.
Maryland's Climate Solutions Now Act of 2022 targets a 60% greenhouse-gas cut below 2006 levels by 2031 and net-zero by 2045. Its building-performance standards currently apply to large commercial and multifamily buildings, not single-family homes, so a rural propane household is not mandated to switch. But state and utility incentives (EmPOWER and the BGE and Pepco rebate programs) increasingly favour heat pumps, which means little new investment flows into lowering rural propane delivery costs. If your furnace is 15-plus years old, price a cold-climate heat pump before a like-for-like propane replacement.
Buying propane well in Maryland
A good dealer is step one. Between a careless account and a well-run one sits a few hundred dollars a winter. Here is where that money is won in Maryland.
01
Verify the gas fitter, not the company
Maryland certifies individual propane gas fitters through the State Board of Plumbing, not dealer firms. Before anyone touches a tank, regulator or gas line, confirm a current Propane Gas Fitter Certification at onestop.md.gov. The credential requires NPGA training plus liability and property-damage insurance.
02
Lock in before hurricane season
Wholesale bottoms in late spring. Most Maryland suppliers run pre-buy and cap-price enrolment from May to July. The Eastern Shore wrinkle: hurricane season opens 1 June, and generator-fill demand can lift retail during named-storm weeks. Top up by the end of May to beat both the storm premium and the fall cutoff, and ask whether unused pre-paid gallons roll over.
03
Quote all three supplier tiers
Maryland has national chains (AmeriGas, Suburban, ThompsonGas), multi-county regionals like Sharp Energy and Tevis Energy, and rural family operators on the Eastern Shore and in Garrett County. In low-density areas the spread between the cheapest local and the priciest national quote can be wide, so pull one written quote from each tier. If you own your tank, say so up front: it removes the switching penalty leased-tank customers face.
04
Know the regional operators in your area
Beyond the rated shortlist, these are established regional operators worth a quote, offered as a starting call-around rather than a ranking. Central Maryland and Carroll County: Tevis Energy of Westminster, family-owned since 1932, covering Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard. Western Maryland and Deep Creek Lake: Oakland Oil & Propane and Suburban Propane, both in Oakland, run the Garrett County mountain routes. Upper and mid Eastern Shore: Tri-Gas & Oil of Federalsburg, serving Maryland and Delaware since 1963. Frederick and Washington County: ThompsonGas, headquartered in Hagerstown.
05
Check OHEP and MEAP eligibility
The Office of Home Energy Programs, run by the Department of Human Services, pays a MEAP heating benefit straight to your propane supplier for households at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (SNAP or TCA recipients qualify automatically). Apply at marylandbenefits.gov or on 1-800-332-6347. Apply early; funding can run out before winter ends.
Rated by customers
Maryland 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.
Lower Eastern Shore
Sharp Energy
Salisbury, Maryland
4.5220 reviews, Birdeye
One of the larger Mid-Atlantic propane suppliers, serving Wicomico, Worcester and southern Sussex County with automatic delivery and budget plans.
See the reviews ›Southern Maryland
Taylor Gas Heating & Air
Lexington Park, Maryland
4.8209 reviews, Chamber of Commerce
Family-owned since 1950, propane delivery plus HVAC across St. Mary's, Calvert, Charles and Prince George's counties, with free wireless tank monitoring on automatic delivery.
See the reviews ›Lower Eastern Shore (Tri-County)
Mrohs Gas
Crisfield & Fruitland, Maryland
4.9an unpublished number of reviews, Angi
Third-generation family operator since the late 1940s, running residential, commercial and agricultural propane across Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset counties.
See the reviews ›Maryland propane, the questions people ask
Which Maryland propane companies are worth calling first?
Start with well-reviewed operators in your own region, because Maryland propane is a regional business. On the Lower Eastern Shore, Sharp Energy (Salisbury, 4.5 stars across 220 Birdeye reviews) and the third-generation family firm Mrohs Gas (Crisfield and Fruitland, 4.9 on Angi) are strong first calls. In Southern Maryland, Taylor Gas Heating & Air (Lexington Park, 4.8 stars across 209 Chamber of Commerce reviews) covers St. Mary's, Calvert and Charles. In Carroll County and central Maryland, Tevis Energy (Westminster, family-owned since 1932) is the established regional. For Garrett County and Deep Creek Lake, Oakland Oil & Propane and Suburban Propane run the mountain routes. This is a starting shortlist, not a ranked best-of, and it is not a full registry, so still get three written quotes and confirm gas-fitter certification before you sign.
Does this page list every licensed propane dealer in Maryland?
No, and it is worth being clear about why. Unlike states such as Wisconsin or North Carolina, Maryland does not publish a public, per-dealer registry of licensed propane retailers. The Maryland State Board of Plumbing (part of the Department of Labor) certifies individual propane gas fitters, the people qualified to work on tanks, regulators and gas lines, but it does not license or list dealer companies. So there is no official directory to reproduce here. Instead we lead with a hand-checked shortlist of well-reviewed operators by region. To find every supplier near a specific address, use the ZIP finder at /propane-prices-near-me/ or the supplier directory at /supplier/.
How do I check a Maryland propane installer is properly certified?
Maryland is unusual: propane gas fitters are certified by the Maryland State Board of Plumbing, a Department of Labor agency, rather than a fire marshal or an HVAC board. Search the Maryland OneStop portal at onestop.md.gov for the Propane Gas Fitter Certification and confirm the person is currently certified before they touch a tank, regulator or appliance line. Certification requires proof of National Propane Gas Association training plus $300,000 general liability and $100,000 property-damage insurance, renews every two years, and is the credential to ask for by name. The Maryland State Fire Marshal separately enforces the NFPA 58 LP-Gas Code for tank siting, transport and bulk storage. Never let an uncertified person work on a propane line.
Am I eligible for Maryland OHEP or MEAP propane assistance?
The Maryland Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP), run by the Department of Human Services, is the state's LIHEAP-funded assistance scheme. The Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP) pays a heating benefit directly to your propane supplier, and households at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level qualify. Households already receiving SNAP or Temporary Cash Assistance are categorically eligible. You do not need a shut-off notice to apply, and propane and other deliverable fuels are covered. Apply online at marylandbenefits.gov or by phone on 1-800-332-6347, and apply early: the program can exhaust its annual funding before the season ends. In Garrett County the heating-assistance season opens 1 October, ahead of the 1 November start elsewhere, because of the colder western climate.
Why is propane in Maryland priced like the Northeast, not like the South?
The US Census Bureau groups Maryland with the South, but its residential propane market behaves like a Northeast market. At $3.74 a gallon in the latest EIA data it sits close to Delaware and Pennsylvania, not close to the Gulf-Coast South states. Three structural reasons drive that. Maryland has no Gulf-Coast supply access, so propane arrives largely through the Marcus Hook complex near Philadelphia and Pennsylvania and New Jersey rail-to-truck terminals, the same chain that prices the Northeast. The dense Baltimore-Washington corridor runs on natural gas from BGE and Washington Gas, which concentrates the propane customer base on rural, low-density routes. And those rural routes, the Eastern Shore and Western Maryland mountains, carry high per-gallon delivery overhead. The South regional average is $3.26 a gallon and the national mark is $2.67, both below where Maryland sits.
I live on the Eastern Shore. Why is propane dearer here than near Baltimore?
Route economics. East of the Chesapeake, Washington Gas and BGE never ran natural-gas mains, so propane is the primary residential heating fuel across Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset, Dorchester, Talbot, Caroline, Queen Anne's, Kent and Cecil counties. That would suggest heavy supplier competition, but the population is rural: fewer customers per route mile means each delivery truck covers more ground per gallon sold, and suppliers price that overhead in. Baltimore County, by contrast, has natural gas on most populated streets, so propane there is confined to outlying parcels and outdoor uses, but the routes that exist are dense and competitive. Eastern Shore households commonly pay a premium above the statewide average, on the order of 15 to 40 cents a gallon. Counter-moves: own your tank outright, split deliveries with neighbours on the same route, and pre-buy before hurricane-season generator demand lifts summer rates.
Should I switch from natural gas to propane in the Baltimore-Washington corridor?
Almost never. Inside BGE and Washington Gas territory, natural gas delivered by main is materially cheaper per usable BTU than propane, with no tank rental, no delivery scheduling and no 80% fill rule. At Maryland's current $3.74 a gallon propane rate, staying on the gas main is the clear economic call for a typical Baltimore, Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery or Prince George's county home. The reverse only makes sense in narrow cases: you are off-main and a gas line-extension quote runs into five figures, you specifically need fuel resilience in an outage-prone rural area, or you run a high-BTU appliance the main cannot feed at adequate pressure. For homes already metered for natural gas, do not switch to propane.
When is the cheapest time to fill a propane tank in Maryland?
Late spring through midsummer, roughly May to July. Maryland suppliers offer pre-buy contracts, which lock a per-gallon rate for the coming winter, and cap-price contracts, which set a ceiling but let you benefit if wholesale falls, during the off-season. There is a Maryland-specific wrinkle on the Eastern Shore: Atlantic hurricane season opens 1 June, and generator-fill demand can lift retail rates during any week with a named storm in the basin. The practical play is to top up by the end of May, ahead of both the storm premium and the fall pre-buy cutoff. A pre-buy discount on a 1,000-gallon-a-year household can save several hundred dollars over a heating season. Read the contract: a fixed pre-buy locks you in either direction, while cap-price preserves the downside. If your tank is below 30% in October, fill it rather than gambling on a January dip.
Keep reading
All Maryland dealers
Maryland 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.
Propane vs natural gas
Per-BTU economics for Baltimore-Washington homes on or near the gas main.