New Hampshire Propane Price 2026: Cost Per Gallon, Suppliers & Delivery

New Hampshire residential propane is $3.72/gal in the 2026 EIA survey, 34% above the $2.78 national average and 4% above the $3.57 Northeast regional average. Full breakdown of NH pricing, named in-state suppliers with delivery coverage, fill-up costs, summer pre-buy savings, the Fuel Assistance Program, and how NH compares to the rest of New England.

Last verified 27 April 2026 · Sourced from EIA New Hampshire residential propane price survey

New Hampshire Propane Price Snapshot (April 2026)

NH residential price

$3.72/gal

2026 EIA weekly survey, statewide retail average

vs national average ($2.78)

+34%

NH pays $0.94 more per gallon than the US average

vs Northeast regional avg ($3.57)

+4%

NH is the fifth-most expensive state in the Northeast

Annual cost (typical 1,000 gal household)

$3,720

Versus $2,780 at the national average

Heating-season window

Nov - Mar

Five-month peak demand; coldest months Jan-Feb

Best time to fill

May - Aug

Off-season pre-buy saves $400-$700/year

New Hampshire prices have run roughly 30 to 40 percent above the national average for the last several winters. The premium widens during January and February cold snaps and narrows in late spring as demand falls. NH sits behind Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut in the Northeast pricing pecking order, but well above the Mid-Atlantic states.

Why New Hampshire Propane Prices Are High

New Hampshire ranks in the top tier of US states for residential propane price. The reasons are structural and unlikely to change without major federal infrastructure investment.

Distance from Gulf Coast production. About 90% of US propane is produced on the Gulf Coast or in the Midcontinent. NH sits roughly 1,800 miles from those production hubs. Propane reaches New England via pipeline to Selkirk NY, then by rail and truck the rest of the way, with seaborne imports during winter. Every transfer adds cost that lands in the retail price.

Peak winter demand and high propane penetration. Roughly 20% of NH households use propane as their primary heat source, one of the highest shares in the country. On top of that, propane is widely used in NH for water heating, cooking, fireplaces, generators, and pool heaters even in homes that heat with oil or wood. That broad usage concentrates demand into a five-month heating season and supports higher retail margins than mild-winter states.

Limited regional storage. New England has very little propane storage capacity relative to demand. When a January cold snap drains regional inventory, suppliers pay spot-market prices for emergency rail and truck deliveries from outside the region, and that pass-through is visible on your bill within days.

Transport costs via rail and truck terminals. NH has no significant in-state propane production. Propane arrives by rail at terminals in Vermont, Maine, and Massachusetts, then by truck across NH's rural routes. Lower customer density per mile pushes the delivery component of the retail price higher than in dense suburban markets, and New England wage rates compound that.

New Hampshire Propane Suppliers (Verified, April 2026)

These are the major residential propane suppliers serving New Hampshire. Coverage areas overlap; in most NH ZIP codes you will have a choice between an NH-headquartered regional player like Eastern, Rymes, or Palmer and one or two of the nationals. Eastern Propane is the largest NH-headquartered company in this list, which matters if you want a local point of contact and a service technician based in-state.

Eastern Propane & Oil

Rochester, NH (28 Industrial Way)

NH-headquartered and family-owned since 1932. Roughly 400 employees across 11 offices serving more than 85,000 residential and commercial customers in NH, ME, MA, RI, and VT. Propane, heating oil, full appliance install and service, 24/7 emergency response, budget plans, pre-buy plans and service contracts. The largest in-state propane company in NH.

Rymes Propane & Oil

Multiple NH offices (Concord HQ region)

Family-owned NH independent with 40+ years of service and nine local offices statewide including Milford, Concord, Goffstown, Antrim, Claremont, and Lancaster. Coverage spans every county in NH plus parts of VT, MA, and ME. Full-service propane and heating oil delivery, automatic delivery, will-call, and equipment service.

Palmer Gas & Oil

Atkinson, NH (13 Hall Farm Rd)

Family-owned for over 90 years. Coverage across southern NH, northern MA, and southern ME with three fuel storage facilities. Propane and oil delivery, HVAC, heating equipment install, generator install, pool heater service, automatic delivery, 24/7 emergency. First propane company in southern NH to offer Renewable Propane (a low-carbon blend).

AmeriGas

King of Prussia, PA (national)

Largest US propane provider. NH offices in Londonderry (11 Liberty Dr), Concord (75 Regional Dr), Laconia (1150 Union Ave), Conway (595 Eastman Rd), and Greenland (1407 Greenland Rd). Walk-in service is no longer available at most locations; ordering is online or by phone (1-800-263-7442) with 24/7 customer service. Includes the former Energy North Propane brand in Concord.

Suburban Propane

Whippany, NJ (national)

700+ locations across 42 states. NH point-of-sale offices in Milford, Franklin, Lebanon, Berlin, and Brentwood. Coverage across Hillsborough, Rockingham, Merrimack, Cheshire, Strafford, Worcester, and surrounding counties. Residential and commercial delivery, tank install, fuel solutions, 24/7 emergency support.

Dead River Company

South Portland, ME (regional)

Maine-headquartered since 1909. Operates 50+ offices across ME, NH, VT, and MA. NH offices include Manchester (159 Elm St), Somersworth (432 Rt 108), and North Haverhill (2300 Dartmouth College Hwy). Propane, heating oil, kerosene, equipment install, 24/7 emergency. The 13th-largest propane company in the US.

Irving Energy

Saint John, NB / Portsmouth, NH

Family-owned regional energy company serving northern New England (ME, NH, VT) for over 90 years. Automatic delivery uses usage prediction software based on home size, usage rate and outside temperature. Free propane tank install for new customers. Strong coverage across central and northern NH including the Upper Valley.

Smaller NH-only independents (regional family operators in single counties) are not listed individually but operate across the state. The Energy Marketers Association of NH publishes a member directory that lists licensed dealers by town. Always pull two or three written quotes before signing a contract; per-gallon spreads of 30 to 50 cents within the same NH town are common, and switching suppliers (or buying out a rented tank) can pay back in a single heating season.

New Hampshire Propane Fill-Up Cost by Tank Size

Propane tanks are filled to 80% capacity (the "80% rule") to allow for thermal expansion. Costs below use NH's $3.72/gal residential rate and the usable gallon count for each tank size.

Tank size	Usable gallons (80%)	NH fill cost ($3.72/gal)	National avg cost ($2.78/gal)	NH premium
100 gal (portable)	80	$297.60	$222.40	+$75
250 gal (small home)	200	$744.00	$556.00	+$188
500 gal (standard residential)	400	$1,488.00	$1,112.00	+$376
1,000 gal (large home / cold-climate)	800	$2,976.00	$2,224.00	+$752

A typical NH household heating a 2,000 sqft home with propane burns 800 to 1,200 gallons per year, which translates to two to three full fills of a 500-gallon tank. Annual propane spend ranges from $2,976 (low usage) to $4,464 (high usage) at the current state-average rate. Households that also use propane for water heating and cooking add another 100 to 200 gallons per year on top of heating load.

New Hampshire Heating Season, Pre-Buy Strategy & Fuel Assistance Program

New Hampshire's heating season runs roughly five months, from early November through late March, with the coldest stretch and highest demand falling in January and February. Propane retail prices follow that demand curve almost lockstep, peaking in late winter and bottoming in late spring.

Summer pre-buy savings. A typical NH household burning 1,000 gallons per year saves $400 to $700 by locking a pre-buy contract in May through August versus paying spot rates during heating season. Cap-price contracts (which set a ceiling but let you benefit if the market falls) are a useful middle ground if you do not want to commit cash up front. Most NH suppliers (Eastern, Rymes, Palmer, Suburban, Dead River) publish their pre-buy and cap-price windows by late spring.

Fuel Assistance Program (FAP) eligibility. NH's Fuel Assistance Program is the state's implementation of federal LIHEAP. FAP covers propane, heating oil, kerosene, wood and pellets, and the benefit is paid directly to your propane supplier. Income eligibility is set at 60% of state median income (roughly $47,604 for a household of one, $62,252 for two, $76,900 for three, $91,548 for four). Benefits range from $100 to $2,177 depending on income, household size and fuel costs. The program is administered by the NH Department of Energy and delivered through your local Community Action Agency. Apply through your local CAA before heating season opens; benefits are first-come, first-served once funds are released.

Practical sequence for an NH propane household: apply for FAP through your local Community Action Agency in September or October if you may qualify, sign a pre-buy or cap-price contract in June or July, and top up your tank to 80% by mid-October. That combination protects you from both winter spot-market spikes and supplier minimum-delivery surcharges, and keeps you out of the will-call queue when temperatures drop.

New Hampshire vs Other Northeast States (April 2026)

State	Price/gal	vs national avg ($2.78)	500-gal fill cost
Vermont	$3.95	+42%	$1,580
Massachusetts	$3.89	+40%	$1,556
Maine	$3.82	+37%	$1,528
Connecticut	$3.78	+36%	$1,512
New Hampshire (this page)	$3.72	+34%	$1,488
Rhode Island	$3.68	+32%	$1,472
New York	$3.58	+29%	$1,432
New Jersey	$3.45	+24%	$1,380
Pennsylvania	$3.28	+18%	$1,312
Delaware	$3.12	+12%	$1,248
Maryland	$3.05	+10%	$1,220

Northeast regional average: $3.57/gal. NH sits $0.15 above the regional average and is the fifth-most expensive state in the region, behind Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut. NH is cheaper than Maine by $0.10/gal (about $40 on a 500-gallon fill) but $0.14/gal more than New York. See full state-by-state pricing for all 50 states.

New Hampshire Propane Price FAQ

Who has the cheapest propane in New Hampshire?

There is no single cheapest supplier across the state. Pricing depends on county, contract type (will-call vs automatic delivery vs pre-buy), tank ownership, and how aggressively you shop. In most NH ZIP codes, Eastern Propane & Oil (headquartered in Rochester), Rymes Propane & Oil (nine offices statewide), and Palmer Gas & Oil (Atkinson) post competitive automatic-delivery rates. AmeriGas (which owns Energy North in Concord) and Suburban Propane offer national budget plans and tank-exchange that can undercut local players on smaller residential tanks. Independent locals tend to win on will-call pricing once you establish a relationship. Always pull two written quotes before signing; per-gallon spreads of 30 to 50 cents within the same NH town are common.

Why is propane so expensive in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire's $3.72/gal price is 34% above the $2.78 national average for three structural reasons. First, distance from production: roughly 90% of US propane is produced on the Gulf Coast or in the Midcontinent, and NH sits at the far end of a pipeline-rail-truck supply chain that ends in northern New England. Second, peak winter demand: about 20% of NH households use propane as their primary heat source, and another large share use it for water heating, cooking, fireplaces and generators. That demand concentrates into a five-month heating season. Third, limited regional storage: New England propane storage is small relative to demand, so when a January cold snap drains regional inventory, suppliers pay spot-market prices for emergency rail and truck loads from outside the region. The premium widens during cold snaps and narrows in late spring.

Does the New Hampshire Fuel Assistance Program cover propane?

Yes. New Hampshire's Fuel Assistance Program (FAP) is the state's implementation of the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). FAP covers deliverable fuels including propane, heating oil, kerosene, wood, and pellets, and the benefit is paid directly to your propane supplier toward winter fuel costs. The program is administered by the NH Department of Energy and delivered on the ground by your local Community Action Agency. Income eligibility is set at 60% of state median income, which for the current program year works out to roughly $47,604 for a household of one, $62,252 for a household of two, $76,900 for three, and $91,548 for four. Benefits range from about $100 to $2,177 depending on household income, size, and fuel costs. Apply through your local Community Action Agency before heating season opens; funds are limited and benefits are first-come, first-served once the season begins.

Should I switch from heating oil to propane in New Hampshire?

Not automatically. Heating oil and propane are both common primary heating fuels in NH and per-BTU heating oil is often the cheaper choice. At NH 2026 prices, heating oil at roughly $4.10 to $4.30/gal delivers about 138,500 BTU per gallon, while propane at $3.72/gal delivers 91,500 BTU per gallon. That works out to propane costing roughly 30 to 40% more per BTU delivered. Propane wins on appliance efficiency (95% high-efficiency furnaces are common, versus 85% for oil), cleaner burn, no sulfur smell, broader appliance compatibility (cooking, water heating, generators, fireplaces, pool heaters) and lower capital cost on new equipment. The fuel-cost gap can close if you replace an old 80% oil furnace with a high-efficiency propane condensing unit, but always run the numbers with current local quotes for both fuels before switching, and factor in tank install, line work and disposal of the old oil tank.

Is summer pre-buy worth it for New Hampshire propane?

Usually yes. NH propane prices follow a strong seasonal cycle: prices typically bottom in May through August and peak in January through February. A pre-buy or summer-fill contract locks the off-season rate for delivery during heating season. For a typical NH household burning 1,000 gallons per year, pre-buying in June at roughly $3.10 to $3.30/gal versus paying $3.72 to $4.20/gal in midwinter saves $400 to $700 annually. Cap-price contracts are a useful middle ground: they set a ceiling but let you benefit if the spot market falls. The risks are that you tie up cash up front (most pre-buys require a deposit or full payment) and that if you switch suppliers mid-contract you may forfeit the locked rate. For owned-tank households who have been with the same supplier for several years, the math almost always favours pre-buy.

Can I switch propane suppliers in New Hampshire if I rent my tank?

Yes, but the mechanics depend on who owns your tank. If you own your tank outright, switching is straightforward: get quotes, sign with the new supplier, and they will pump out and deliver as normal. If your tank is rented from your current supplier, you will typically need to either buy out the tank, have your new supplier swap in their own tank (sometimes free, sometimes a setup fee), or arrange for the old supplier to pump out their remaining propane (often at a low buy-back rate, which is one of the points of friction). Most NH suppliers will quote a switch package once you ask. Owning your own tank gives you full freedom to shop on price every contract; the trade-off is the upfront cost (roughly $1,500 to $3,500 installed for a 500-gallon above-ground tank) and the responsibility for inspection and maintenance.