Nevada propane, regional benchmark
Nevada propane prices: $2.95 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.
EIA does not survey Nevada and publishes no West Coast regional series. The figure here is our own estimate for Nevada, kept in line with the regional surveys we track; the chart below shows the US series for direction only.
A huge, empty state where the two population centres run on natural gas and propane is left to the high-desert counties, the ranches, the mining camps and the Tahoe second homes. Nevada publishes no online dealer-licence lookup, so verification runs through the LP-Gas Board by phone and the state association roster.
Latest EIA residential propane price
Source: EIA State Heating Oil and Propane Program, regional residential series. Refreshed automatically every Tuesday in season; wholesale daily.
Nevada at a glance
Benchmark$2.95/gal
vs US ($2.67)10% above
500-gal fill (400 usable)$1180
Week by week, 2025-26 season
US average, the nearest published series to Nevada
Every point is an EIA survey week. This season the series ran from a low of $2.42 (6 Oct) to a high of $2.68 (23 Mar). Against the same week a year earlier it is -1%.
$2.42
Season low
6 October 2025
$2.68
Season high
23 March 2026
$2.69
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 Nevada prices are heading.
What a fill costs in Nevada at $2.95
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 $2.95 | vs US ($2.67) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 gal | 80 gal | $236 | +$22 |
| 250 gal | 200 gal | $590 | +$55 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | $1180 | +$110 |
| 1000 gal | 800 gal | $2360 | +$221 |
A Nevada home heating on propane through a typical winter burns 1,000 to 1,500 gallons, so fuel alone runs about $2950 to $4425 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.
Nevada against its West neighbours
Nevada sits mid-cluster: a little below the Pacific-coast states and materially under the island and Alaska markets, but above the inland-Mountain cluster of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming that sits closer to Mid-Continent supply. The full West average is pulled up by Hawaii and Alaska import-only logistics.
| 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 Nevada runs 10% over the national average
Nevada's rate is set by geography, not the calendar. It will not drift toward Gulf-state pricing without a major shift in West Coast supply infrastructure or in Nevada's small, rural residential propane book.
West Coast supply, long inbound haul.
PADD 5 has a small refining base relative to the Gulf and Mid-Continent. Most Nevada propane arrives by rail and pipeline from Utah, the Mid-Continent or California into bulk terminals at North Las Vegas, Sparks and West Wendover, then bobtails out from there. Every transfer is a margin layer, and the state has no in-region propane production of its own to shorten the chain.
A small base, concentrated in rural counties.
Nevada's two population centres run on natural gas: Southwest Gas serves the Las Vegas Valley, and NV Energy and Southwest Gas serve Reno-Sparks. Residential propane demand is concentrated in the rural high-desert counties (Elko, Eureka, White Pine, Lyon, Nye, Lincoln, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Pershing, Mineral, Storey) plus the Lake Tahoe Nevada side. The statewide propane customer count is small, which means weaker route economies and higher per-gallon overhead than a denser market.
Long ranch and mining route miles.
A single bobtail run in Eureka or Esmeralda County can cover 200 or more miles between fills. Add Bureau of Land Management grazing-lease properties, ranch propane, and mining-camp propane from gold and lithium operations across northern and central Nevada, and you have a rural book where premiums of 40 to 80 cents a gallon over urban-edge quotes are routine. The rate has to absorb truck mileage, driver hours and partial-load risk that a Reno or Las Vegas suburb route never sees.
Tahoe second homes and desert-summer demand cycles.
The Nevada side of Lake Tahoe carries a heavy second-home and short-term-rental book above 6,200 feet, with consumption cycles that do not match a normal residential burn pattern, priced with higher tank rental and auto-fill defaults. Separately, Nevada's wildfire and power-shutoff season has built a rural standby-generator propane book that pulls some of what would otherwise be summer-low pricing upward in dry years.
Buying propane well in Nevada: the moves that change the bill
A supplier list is step one. In a state this large and this empty, the gap between a careless account and a well-run one is often several hundred dollars a winter. Here is where that money is won.
01
Confirm the Board licence by phone
Any operator filling propane in Nevada must be licensed by the Nevada Board for the Regulation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas under NRS 590.485, following NFPA 58 and NAC Chapter 590. There is no public online lookup, so call the Board on 775-687-4890 and confirm the licence is current. Insurance, tank inspection and dispute cover all hang on that standing.
02
Pre-buy in late spring, not autumn
National wholesale bottoms in June and July, and Nevada retailers run pre-buy and cap-price enrolment from May through August, often 20 to 40 cents a gallon under projected winter rates. Lock the cleanest window, late May to mid-June, before wildfire-season demand firms pricing. On a sun-exposed tank, do not summer-fill above 70 to 75%: desert heat raises pressure and can trigger relief-valve venting.
03
Quote one urban-edge, one local
On a rural route, pull one written quote from an urban-edge supplier (Reno, Sparks, Carson City) and one from a local operator with a yard in your county or the next one over. The per-gallon spread is often material, and the rural ranch-route premium runs 40 to 80 cents a gallon. If you own your tank, say so up front: it removes the switching penalty leased-tank customers face.
04
Check EAP eligibility through DWSS
The Energy Assistance Program, run by DWSS, credits propane and other primary heating fuels for households at or below 150% of the federal Poverty Guidelines. The program year runs July 1 to June 30 with applications accepted year-round. Apply by mail, fax, in person, or by emailing [email protected]. Nevada also tops up the benefit through the state Universal Energy Charge and its FEAC fund.
05
Start with a Nevada-based independent in your region
Real Nevada-headquartered companies from the association roster, one or two per region, with the phone taken straight from the member data. Carson City and Washoe Valley: Comstock Propane, (775) 626-2558. Reno, Sparks and the Truckee Meadows: High Sierra Gas, (775) 224-7198, and Eagle Energy Corp of Sparks, (775) 852-8558. Elko and eastern Nevada: Western States Propane, (775) 753-5950. The central and western high desert: F.G.F. Inc. (Valley Propane) of Hawthorne, (775) 945-5094. The Utah line: Propane of Wendover, (775) 664-2291. A regional starting point, not a ranked best-of list.
Verified on the state registry
8 of the 55 Nevada dealers on the NPDA register
Source: Nevada Propane Dealers Association member list, captured 16 August 2026. A registry listing is a licence record, not an endorsement.
Nevada propane, the questions people ask
Where do the dealers in your Nevada directory come from?
Every business in the directory is drawn from the Nevada Propane Dealers Association (NPDA) member roster, the Reno-based state trade body's own list of propane marketers, regional suppliers and allied members, captured on 16 August 2026. Trade-body membership is a real credibility signal, but it is not a statutory licence check: Nevada has no public online database of licensed propane dealers, so before you sign, confirm current standing with the Nevada Board for the Regulation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas by phone on 775-687-4890. The roster also carries out-of-state and equipment or logistics members, which is why the Nevada-headquartered suppliers are the ones named in the regional shortlist.
How do I check that a Nevada propane company is licensed?
Every company, container, delivery vehicle and fitter handling propane in Nevada must be licensed by the Nevada Board for the Regulation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, a six-member board appointed by the Governor under NRS 590.485. Operating an unlicensed propane installation or service is unlawful under NRS 590.535, and the Board's rules (NRS 590.465 to 590.645 and NAC Chapter 590) adopt the NFPA 58 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code by reference. Nevada does not publish a searchable online licence lookup, so verification is done by phone: call the Board on 775-687-4890 and confirm the company's licence is current before you accept a fill. Separately, the Nevada Department of Agriculture, Division of Measurement Standards (under NRS Chapters 581 and 582) certifies the meters on delivery trucks, which is the agency that confirms your bobtail's gallon counter is accurate. Never accept a fill from an unlicensed operator: insurance, tank inspection and dispute resolution all hinge on that standing.
How much does propane cost per gallon in Nevada?
Nevada residential propane is approximately $2.95 per gallon. This is a manually verified estimate, not a live EIA reading. The EIA State Heating Oil and Propane Program (SHOPP) publishes weekly residential propane series only for PADD 1, 2, 3 and 4; Nevada sits in PADD 5 (West Coast), which EIA does not cover, so the figure here is cross-referenced against public Nevada supplier pricing and Public Utilities Commission of Nevada filings. That works out to roughly 10% above the $2.67 national average, against a West regional average of $2.88. Real quotes swing 40 to 80 cents a gallon between an urban-edge Reno-Sparks or Las Vegas route and a remote ranch route in Elko, Eureka, Nye or White Pine County.
Am I eligible for Nevada's Energy Assistance Program (EAP)?
Possibly, if your household's total monthly gross income is at or below 150% of the federal Poverty Guidelines. Nevada's federal LIHEAP variant is the Energy Assistance Program (EAP), administered by the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS) within the Department of Health and Human Services. EAP covers the home's primary heating fuel, including propane, and the benefit is typically applied as a credit with your energy provider rather than paid to you. The program year runs July 1 through June 30, with applications accepted year-round until funding is exhausted. Nevada also funds energy assistance beyond the federal block grant through the state Universal Energy Charge (UEC), created by AB 661 in 2001 and codified in NRS Chapter 702: a small surcharge on regulated utility customers that flows into the Nevada Fund for Energy Assistance and Conservation (FEAC), which DWSS pairs with LIHEAP to extend the EAP benefit. Apply by mail, by fax, in person at a DWSS office, or by emailing [email protected].
Why do rural Nevada ranch routes pay a premium?
Two structural reasons. First, route density: counties like Elko, Eureka, White Pine, Esmeralda and Nye are vast and sparsely populated, and a single bobtail run in Eureka or Esmeralda County can cover 200 or more miles between fills with very few stops. The per-gallon rate has to absorb truck mileage, driver hours and a partial-load risk that does not exist on a Reno suburb route. Second, terminal distance: bulk propane reaches Nevada through a small set of rail-served terminals at North Las Vegas, Sparks and West Wendover, plus inbound product from Salt Lake City and California, and a ranch outside Ely can be several hundred miles from the nearest terminal in any direction. Add Bureau of Land Management grazing-lease properties and mining-camp propane from gold and lithium operations across northern and central Nevada, and premiums of 40 to 80 cents a gallon over urban-edge quotes are normal. Owning your tank and running a will-call rather than an auto-fill contract are the strongest cost levers on a remote route.
How does the Lake Tahoe Nevada-side second-home market affect pricing?
The Nevada side of Lake Tahoe (Incline Village, Crystal Bay, Glenbrook, Zephyr Cove and Stateline) carries a heavy second-home and short-term-rental propane book. These properties sit above 6,200 feet in the Sierra, get serious winter cold and heavy snow, and are occupied in cycles that do not match a normal residential burn pattern: heavy holiday and ski-season use, near-zero spring and fall consumption. Suppliers price this with higher monthly tank rental, minimum-delivery surcharges, auto-fill defaults rather than will-call, and a per-gallon rate above the Reno-Sparks baseline. If you own or manage a Tahoe-Nevada property, ask specifically about a seasonal-account program, an off-season tank-rental waiver, and a written quote that itemises the per-gallon rate, delivery fee, tank rental and any monthly minimum, because those add-ons are where the Tahoe premium really lives.
When is the cheapest time to buy propane in Nevada?
Late spring through midsummer, roughly May through August. National wholesale propane usually bottoms in June and July, when refinery output is high and residential demand is near zero, and Nevada retailers run pre-buy and cap-price enrollment across those months, often 20 to 40 cents a gallon off projected winter spot rates. On a 1,000 gallon high-desert household that is real money saved a year. Two Nevada-specific cautions. First, extreme summer heat: Las Vegas regularly runs above 110F and Pahrump and Mesquite above 105F, which raises tank pressure and can trigger relief-valve venting on under-shaded tanks, so do not summer-fill a sun-exposed tank above 70 to 75% even though the gauge will let you reach 80%. Second, wildfire season across western and northern Nevada pulls some retailers' summer-low pricing higher in dry years and drives a standby-generator fuel spike, so the cleanest pre-buy window is usually late May to mid-June, before the fire-season news cycle starts.
Keep reading
All Nevada dealers
The complete verified directory of 55 Nevada 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 Nevada homes off the Southwest Gas and NV Energy mains.