EIA residential propane, Montana
Montana propane prices: $2.12 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.
An upstream energy state that heats its own rural edges: three Billings-area refineries and the Bakken next door hold the wholesale rate down, while pipeline gas takes the cities and leaves propane the ranches, the reservations and the cabin country. The statewide average hides a long spread between a Billings quote and a Hi-Line one.
Latest EIA residential propane price
Source: EIA State Heating Oil and Propane Program, Montana residential series. Refreshed automatically every Tuesday in season; wholesale daily.
Montana at a glance
Latest survey$2.12/gal
vs week before-7.8c
vs 4 weeks before+0.5c
vs same week last year-9%
vs US ($2.67)21% below
Among 38 surveyed states9th cheapest
500-gal fill (400 usable)$848
Week by week, 2025-26 season
Montana against the US average
Every point is an EIA survey week. This season Montana ran from a low of $1.84 (6 Oct) to a high of $2.20 (16 Mar), with the US average finishing at $2.67. Against the same week a year earlier it is -9%.
$1.84
Season low
6 October 2025
$2.20
Season high
16 March 2026
$2.32
Same week last year
31 March 2025, now -9%
$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 Montana prices are heading.
What a fill costs in Montana at $2.12
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 $2.12 | vs US ($2.67) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 gal | 80 gal | $170 | -$44 |
| 250 gal | 200 gal | $424 | -$111 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | $848 | -$221 |
| 1000 gal | 800 gal | $1697 | -$442 |
A Montana home heating on propane through a typical winter burns 1,000 to 1,500 gallons, so fuel alone runs about $2121 to $3182 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.
Montana against its West neighbours
Montana sits at the cheap end of the Mountain West, alongside Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado and Utah, all of them close to Rockies refining and NGL supply. The two Bakken-adjacent Northern Plains states, North Dakota and South Dakota, can run lower still: they sit right on top of the Williston Basin production that Montana has to truck west. New Mexico, further from the northern supply, tends to sit higher.
| State | Price/gal | 500-gal fill | vs US ($2.67) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $2.12 | $848 | -21% |
| Wyoming (regional est.) | $2.27 | $906 | -15% |
| Colorado | $2.30 | $921 | -14% |
| Utah | $2.34 | $935 | -13% |
| Idaho | $2.40 | $959 | -10% |
| Arizona (regional est.) | $2.72 | $1088 | +2% |
| New Mexico (regional est.) | $2.93 | $1172 | +10% |
| Nevada (regional est.) | $2.95 | $1180 | +10% |
| Oregon (regional est.) | $2.98 | $1192 | +11% |
| Washington (regional est.) | $3.02 | $1208 | +13% |
| California (regional est.) | $3.42 | $1368 | +28% |
| Alaska (regional est.) | $3.85 | $1540 | +44% |
| Hawaii (regional est.) | $4.15 | $1660 | +55% |
| West average | $2.88 | $1152 | +8% |
States marked regional est. are not surveyed individually by EIA and carry their PADD regional figure. Full table on prices by state.
Why Montana runs 21% under the national average
Montana runs one of the longest, coldest heating seasons in the lower 48 yet clears near the low end of the West region. The reasons are structural, tied to the state's upstream energy economy rather than to any one winter: local refining, Bakken supply next door, and cheap pipeline gas in the cities.
The Billings refining cluster.
CHS Inc. (Laurel refinery, just outside Billings), Phillips 66 (Billings refinery) and ExxonMobil (Billings refinery) run three of the larger refineries in the Northern Rockies. Propane is a byproduct of crude refining and the gas-processing units that run alongside these plants. Byproduct economics mean propane is priced to clear the market rather than to recover full upstream cost, which holds the regional wholesale rate down.
Bakken NGLs next door.
Montana borders the Bakken (Williston Basin), which produces large volumes of natural gas liquids in eastern Montana and western North Dakota. NGL fractionators along the BNSF mainline and out of Sidney feed trucked propane into eastern Montana retail at short-haul rates. Where interior Northeast states pay for 1,000-plus miles of rail and truck logistics, an eastern Montana ranch pays for a county or two of bobtail haul.
Cheap pipeline gas sets the ceiling in the cities.
Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena and Great Falls are mostly served by pipeline natural gas through NorthWestern Energy and Energy West. Propane competes for the rural, ranch, reservation and seasonal-cabin base outside the mains. To win that business at all, retailers price competitively, which keeps per-gallon rates well below states where propane is the only practical fuel for the residential mass market.
Agricultural propane is the baseload.
Montana is a top US wheat producer and a major barley, sugar-beet and cattle state. Crop drying (wheat and sugar beets), stock-tank and livestock heaters, calving barns and weed flaming give retailers a high-volume, multi-season demand profile that improves route economics. Ranches contracting 2,000 to 5,000 gallons a year effectively underwrite the route density that lets suppliers price residential gallons on the same delivery line more aggressively.
The exception: dispersed-route premiums.
The statewide average masks real geographic spread. Glasgow, Glendive and the Hi-Line towns along US-2 see multi-week sub-zero stretches and very long supplier routes, which adds a real premium over a Billings-area quote. The same applies to delivery on the Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Blackfeet and Fort Peck reservations and to seasonal-cabin routes around Glacier and Yellowstone. The state average is real; the per-quote rate in Phillips County or out on the Big Open will sit above it.
Buying propane well in Montana: the moves that decide the bill
A good shortlist is step one. The gap between a careless account and a well-run one, especially for a high-use ranch or Hi-Line home, is real money across a winter. Here is where it is won.
01
Insist on a permitted install
Montana has no public per-dealer licence lookup, so verification runs through permitting. Tank sets and gas-line work must be permitted and inspected through the DLI Building Codes Bureau and meet the Montana LP-Gas Code (NFPA 58, 2020) enforced by the State Fire Marshal. Ask the supplier to confirm the set will be permitted. If they will not, walk away.
02
Lock the summer rate
Wholesale bottoms in late spring, and most Montana suppliers run pre-buy enrolment from May through August. A high-use ranch or Hi-Line home saves the most, because more gallons locked means more dollars banked. 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 to next season.
03
Quote all three supplier tiers
Montana runs a three-tier market: national carriers, regional operators and Cenex cooperatives like CHS and Rocky Mountain Supply, and family independents across the valleys and the east. In lower-density counties 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, because it removes the switching penalty leased-tank customers face.
04
Check LIHEAP eligibility
Montana LIHEAP, run by DPHHS, pays a benefit straight to your propane supplier for households at or below 60% of state median income. For 2025-2026 the limits are $33,719 (one person), $44,095 (two), $54,470 (three) and $64,846 (four). Apply year-round through your local HRDC or Tribal LIHEAP office, online at apply.mt.gov/access, and file before October to beat the winter backlog.
05
Outside the western valleys, call the established names
The strongest-reviewed independents cluster in the western valleys. Across the Flathead, the southwest co-op country and the eastern Hi-Line and Bakken counties the customer base is thinner and public review counts are small, so start instead with established operators: CHS Mountain West and City Service Valcon (a fuel and propane distributor since 1932), both of Kalispell, in the Flathead and northwest; Rocky Mountain Supply of Belgrade, the farmer-owned Cenex co-op running Dillon to Townsend; and Cross Petroleum of Glendive, Montana-owned, covering Glendive and Sidney. In Billings and the Yellowstone valley several suppliers compete, so quote at least three off the ZIP finder.
Rated by customers
Montana 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.
Helena Valley / west-central
Montana Propane
Helena, Montana
4.6105 reviews, Birdeye
Locally owned Helena dealer running tank fill-ups, delivery, tank installs and 24-hour emergency service across the Helena valley and Prickly Pear country.
See the reviews ›Missoula / western Montana
Axmen Propane
Frenchtown, Montana
4.520 reviews, Birdeye
Locally owned and operated for more than 35 years, with home-heating delivery, service and installs across the Missoula and Bitterroot corridor.
See the reviews ›Gallatin Valley / southwest
Madison River Propane
Belgrade, Montana
4.3121 reviews, Birdeye
Belgrade-based residential and ranch supplier serving Bozeman, the Gallatin and Madison valleys and Three Forks, with a large review base across the fast-growing southwest.
See the reviews ›Montana propane, the questions people ask
Does this page list every licensed propane dealer in Montana?
No, and we will not pretend otherwise. Montana does not publish a single browsable, consumer-facing per-dealer propane license lookup the way Wisconsin, Texas or Florida do, so this page does not carry a full state dealer registry. Montana regulates the trade through safety and permitting rather than a retail-seller license: the Montana State Fire Marshal's office (within the Department of Justice) adopts and enforces the Montana LP-Gas Code, based on NFPA 58, 2020 edition, covering tanks, bulk storage and delivery, and the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau handles building, mechanical and fuel-gas permitting and inspection statewide. Neither publishes a public best-of list of retail propane sellers. What we offer instead is a hand-checked shortlist of well-reviewed operators by region, plus the ZIP finder at /propane-prices-near-me/ and the supplier directory at /supplier/ to find companies serving your address.
How do I confirm a Montana propane installer is properly licensed?
Because Montana has no retail-dealer license lookup, verification runs through the permit and trade-body route. Any tank install or gas-line work must be done under a building, mechanical or fuel-gas permit through the Montana Department of Labor & Industry Building Codes Bureau (bsd.dli.mt.gov/building-codes-permits), and the installation must meet the Montana LP-Gas Code (NFPA 58, 2020) enforced by the State Fire Marshal. Ask any supplier whether the tank set will be permitted and inspected, and never accept a fill or an install from an operator who cannot answer that. As a credibility signal, check the Rocky Mountain Propane Association (rmpropane.org), the regional trade body for Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, and the National Propane Gas Association (npga.org) member directories. Trade-body membership is a positive sign, not a substitute for a permitted, code-compliant install.
Am I eligible for Montana LIHEAP propane assistance?
Montana's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is administered by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) and pays a benefit directly to your propane supplier toward winter fuel costs. Eligibility runs at 60% of the state median income. For the 2025-2026 heating season the income limits are $33,719 for a one-person household, $44,095 for two, $54,470 for three, and $64,846 for four. Heating season runs October 1 through April 30, but you can apply year-round through your local Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) or Tribal LIHEAP office; applying before October avoids the peak-winter backlog. Apply online at apply.mt.gov/access/ or read the program page at dphhs.mt.gov/hcsd/energyassistance/. If propane is your main heat and you have no current bill, ask your supplier for a letter of service to file with the application.
Why is propane cheaper in Montana than in most of the country?
Montana sits at $2.12 a gallon, about 21% below the national average of $2.67 a gallon. Three structural drivers explain it. First, the Billings refining cluster: CHS (Laurel), Phillips 66 and ExxonMobil all run refineries near Billings, and propane is a byproduct of crude refining and the gas-processing units alongside them, so it is priced to clear the market rather than to recover full upstream cost. Second, Montana borders the Bakken (Williston Basin), which produces large volumes of natural gas liquids that reach eastern Montana retailers on short truck hauls. Third, residential propane competes against cheap pipeline natural gas in Billings, Missoula, Bozeman, Helena and Great Falls (NorthWestern Energy and Energy West territory), so retail propane has to price low to win the rural, ranch and reservation base it actually serves.
How much does a Montana household spend on propane per year?
A Montana propane-heated household typically burns 800 to 1,200 gallons a year, with eastern Montana homes (Glasgow, Glendive, Sidney) at the upper end because the Hi-Line and the Big Open see multi-week sub-zero stretches every winter. At the current statewide average of $2.12 a gallon, that is roughly $1697 to $2545 for fuel alone. Homes that use propane only for water heating, cooking or supplemental heat, common in in-town Bozeman or Missoula where natural gas does the primary heating, burn 200 to 400 gallons a year, about $424 to $848. Working ranches running propane for grain and sugar-beet drying, calving barns, stock-tank heaters and outbuildings can run 2,000 to 5,000 gallons a year and benefit the most from a contract pre-buy.
Where does Montana propane actually come from?
Two main sources. First, the Billings refining cluster: CHS Inc. (Laurel refinery, just outside Billings), Phillips 66 (Billings refinery) and ExxonMobil (Billings refinery) all produce propane as a byproduct of crude refining and NGL processing. Second, Bakken-sourced natural gas liquids move out of the Williston Basin in eastern Montana and western North Dakota through fractionators and rail terminals, with propane reaching Montana retailers by truck. Most Montana bobtails do their bulk fills at terminals near Billings, Sidney or along the BNSF mainline. That short supply chain, in-state refining plus next-state-over NGLs, is the single biggest reason Montana retail propane stays under the national average.
When is the cheapest time to buy propane in Montana?
Late spring through midsummer, roughly May through August. Propane follows a seasonal cycle: prices bottom after the heating season ends and before the next winter's pre-buy window fills, then climb into November and peak in January and February when cold-snap demand strains regional storage. Most Montana suppliers run pre-buy enrollment (lock a per-gallon rate for next winter) and cap-price contracts (set a ceiling but still benefit if the market falls) between May and August. Tactical play for eastern Montana homes that see 20-below stretches: time a September shoulder-season top-up so you reach November with a tank at 75 to 80%. If your tank is under 30% in early autumn, fill it; do not wait on a January thaw that may never come.
Keep reading
All Montana dealers
Montana 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.
Cost calculator
Apply Montana pricing to your home, climate and usage profile.