Washington propane, regional benchmark
Washington propane prices: $3.02 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 Washington and publishes no West Coast regional series. The figure here is our own estimate for Washington, kept in line with the regional surveys we track; the chart below shows the US series for direction only.
A state of two propane markets: mains gas covers the I-5 and I-90 corridors, while primary-heat propane lives on the ferry-served islands, the Olympic Peninsula, the Cascade foothills and the Eastern Washington farm counties. Washington also runs no public per-dealer licence lookup, so vetting works differently here.
Latest EIA residential propane price
Source: EIA State Heating Oil and Propane Program, regional residential series. Refreshed automatically every Tuesday in season; wholesale daily.
Washington at a glance
Benchmark$3.02/gal
vs US ($2.67)13% above
500-gal fill (400 usable)$1208
Week by week, 2025-26 season
US average, the nearest published series to Washington
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 Washington prices are heading.
What a fill costs in Washington at $3.02
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 $3.02 | vs US ($2.67) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 gal | 80 gal | $242 | +$28 |
| 250 gal | 200 gal | $604 | +$69 |
| 500 gal | 400 gal | $1208 | +$138 |
| 1000 gal | 800 gal | $2416 | +$277 |
A Washington home heating on propane through a typical winter burns 1,000 to 1,500 gallons, so fuel alone runs about $3020 to $4530 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.
Washington against its West neighbours
The West average is pulled upward by Hawaii and Alaska import-only logistics. Washington sits in the middle of the region, held down by Anacortes and Cherry Point refining and held up by ferry-served island and remote-Olympic delivery overhead.
| 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 Washington runs 13% over the national average
Washington sits in the mid-tier of the West, cheaper than Hawaii, Alaska and California but dearer than the inland-West cluster. The drivers are structural, not seasonal.
PADD 5 supply, offset by in-state refining.
The West Coast refining base is small next to the Gulf and Mid-Continent, and the EIA publishes no residential propane series for the region. Washington partly offsets that with a Puget Sound refining cluster, BP Cherry Point at Ferndale, Phillips 66 Ferndale, Marathon Anacortes and US Oil and Refining at Tacoma, which produce LPG as a co-product. That gives Washington bulk-supply economics California lost as its own refining capacity shrank through the 2020s, which is why the statewide rate runs well under California's.
Urban gas mains, rural propane belt.
Most King, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Clark and Thurston county homes are on Puget Sound Energy or Cascade Natural Gas mains, so in those counties propane is a backup, range, dryer or generator fuel. Primary-heat propane is concentrated in the rural Cascades and foothills, the Olympic Peninsula, the ferry-served islands and the Eastern Washington farm counties. Fewer customers per route means thinner route economics than in propane-heavy Midwest states, and that shows up in the per-gallon price outside the I-5 and I-90 corridors.
The wet-west, dry-east climate split.
Western Washington rarely sees overnight lows below 20F but is wet and windstorm-prone. East of the Cascades, from Spokane to Yakima to Wenatchee, annual minimums run down toward zero and below at elevation, with sustained sub-freezing weeks in January. A Spokane or Wenatchee propane home burns 30 to 50 percent more gallons a year than a comparable home near Olympia, on top of longer routes from a smaller Eastern Washington terminal footprint. Pre-buy and cap-price choices matter materially more east of the crest.
Ferry, island and orchard load.
San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Whidbey, Vashon, Camano and Hood Canal communities need ferry crossings or single-lane forest routes per delivery, and premiums of 40 to 80 cents a gallon over the statewide figure are routine there. In the east, the tree-fruit belt around Yakima, Wenatchee and Chelan runs propane orchard heaters and frost fans in spring and crop dryers at harvest, a commercial-agricultural anchor that pulls Eastern Washington pre-buy forward and shapes bulk supply in those counties.
Buying propane well in Washington: four moves that change the bill
A directory is step one. The gap between a careless account and a well-run one in Washington is usually a few hundred dollars a winter, and more if you are on a ferry-served island. Here is where that money is won.
01
Verify licensing the Washington way
Washington has no public per-dealer propane licence lookup, which is why the directory on this page is built from association membership rather than a state registry. The State Fire Marshal's Office, inside the State Patrol, adopts and enforces NFPA 58 through the Washington Administrative Code, and county fire authorities permit tanks at the site level. Ask any supplier for its SFMO compliance status and current liability insurance in writing, and cross-check the name against the Pacific Propane Gas Association directory at pacificpga.org.
02
Time the pre-buy to your side of the Cascades
Wholesale bottoms in early summer, and Washington retailers run pre-buy and cap-price enrolment from May through August at roughly 20 to 40 cents a gallon off projected winter spot. East of the Cascades, frost-fan demand tightens bulk supply from mid-March, so lock in by mid-May. On the wet side you have until late June. Ask for a cap-price contract, which keeps the saving if winter wholesale falls, and check whether unused pre-paid gallons roll forward.
03
Quote a member and a national, and price the surcharges
Pull one written quote from an association member and one from a national carrier, and make each itemise per-gallon price, delivery fee, tank rental, minimum-delivery surcharge, ferry surcharge if your address is island-served, and any monthly tank fee. If you own your tank, say so up front: it removes the switching penalty that leased-tank customers face, and on the islands it lets you shop harder.
04
Check LIHEAP through Commerce
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, run by the Washington State Department of Commerce and delivered through 30-plus Community Action Agencies, pays a heating benefit toward propane for households at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. The benefit can go straight to your supplier. Find your local provider on the official map at fortress.wa.gov, or call 360-725-2857.
Rated by customers
Washington 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.
Northwest corner and the north islands
VanderYacht Propane
Lynden, Washington
4.474 reviews, Birdeye
Family owned and operated, one of the few operators whose service area explicitly reaches the San Juan, Camano and Whidbey island communities that mains gas never gets to. Serves Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, San Juan and Island counties.
See the reviews ›North Puget Sound
American Distributing
Marysville, Washington
4.8296 reviews, Birdeye
Long-running family fuel and propane firm, and the largest verified review base on this shortlist, repeatedly cited for stable crews and competitive per-gallon pricing. Serves Marysville, Everett and the greater Snohomish County Sound.
See the reviews ›Kitsap Peninsula and Hood Canal
Kitsap Propane
Kingston, Washington
4.2201 reviews, Birdeye
Peninsula-focused independent delivering across Kitsap County seven days a week, a useful contrast with the national carriers for the Hood Canal side. Serves Kingston, Poulsbo, Bremerton and the Kitsap Peninsula.
See the reviews ›North Olympic Peninsula
Pioneer Propane
Sequim, Washington
4.562 reviews, Birdeye
Serves the long, low-density Olympic Peninsula routes west of the Hood Canal bridge where per-stop drive time is the biggest cost lever, covering Sequim, Port Angeles and the Clallam County Olympic Peninsula.
See the reviews ›Eastern Washington and the Inland Northwest
Arrow Propane
Spokane Valley, Washington
4.961 reviews, Birdeye
Independent Spokane-area operator, the highest customer rating on this list, serving the colder, higher-burn east side of the Cascades across Spokane Valley, Spokane and the surrounding Inland Northwest.
See the reviews ›Verified on the state registry
8 of the 52 Washington member companies on the PPGA register
| Dealer | City | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| A-1 Petroleum and Propane | Ellensburg | 509-925-1366 |
| Ag Supply Co. | Brewster | 509-689-2423 |
| Ag Supply Co. | East Wentachee | 509-884-6647 |
| Ag Supply Co. | Mattawa | 509-754-4638 |
| Ag Supply Co. | Quincy | 509-787-8025 |
| Ag Supply Co. | Wentachee | 509-662-8188 |
| All American Propane | Othello | 509-575-7682 |
| All American Propane | Yakima | 509-575-7682 |
Source: Pacific Propane Gas Association 2025-26 Membership Directory, captured 25 August 2026. This is a trade-association membership roster, not a state licence registry: Washington runs no public per-dealer propane licence lookup, and membership is not an endorsement. Cross-check a name on the Pacific Propane Gas Association directory.
Washington propane, the questions people ask
Where do the dealers on this page come from?
The directory list is drawn from the Pacific Propane Gas Association (PPGA) 2025-26 Membership Directory, the regional propane trade body for the Pacific Northwest, captured on 25 August 2026, and most members publish a direct phone line. This is an association membership list, not a government licence registry: Washington does not run a public, searchable per-dealer propane licence lookup, so trade-association membership is the strongest public list of vetted in-state suppliers. Membership is a credibility signal, not a state credential, so confirm a company's State Fire Marshal compliance and current liability insurance in writing and get three written quotes before you sign. The rated shortlist is separate: a hand-checked set of dealers with strong public review scores.
How much does propane cost per gallon in Washington?
Washington residential propane runs about $3.02 a gallon on this page's estimate, 13% above the $2.67 national average and set against a $2.88 West regional average. Important caveat: the EIA State Heating Oil and Propane Program (SHOPP) does not publish a weekly residential propane series for Washington, and PADD 5 (the West Coast) has no residential propane series at all. The figure here is a manually verified estimate cross-checked against public Washington supplier postings and Pacific Northwest retail surveys, not an EIA-published number. Real quotes vary a lot by geography: ferry-served island households (San Juan, Whidbey, Vashon, Lopez) and remote Olympic Peninsula and North Cascades cabins routinely pay 40 to 80 cents a gallon above the statewide estimate, while urban King and Pierce County customers using propane for range, dryer or generator backup often quote closer to it.
Is PPGA membership the same as a state propane licence?
No, and it is important to keep them apart. The Pacific Propane Gas Association is a voluntary trade body; its directory lists members that have chosen to join and pay dues, which is a real credibility signal but is not a statutory licence or a government vetting. Washington itself does not publish a consumer-facing, searchable per-dealer propane licence lookup. The Washington State Fire Marshal's Office adopts and enforces NFPA 58, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code, through the Washington Administrative Code, and county and local fire authorities permit tanks at the site level, but there is no public database where you can type a company name and confirm its standing. So treat this directory as a strong starting list, then verify any supplier by asking for its State Fire Marshal compliance status and current liability insurance in writing before you commit.
Does LIHEAP help pay for propane in Washington?
Yes. Washington's federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce and distributed through more than 30 local Community Action Agencies and tribal organisations. It explicitly covers propane alongside electric, natural gas, oil, coal and wood, the program awards grants regardless of fuel type. Income eligibility is set at 150% of the federal poverty level. Benefit amounts are calculated per household from household size, income and annual heating costs, then paid directly to your propane supplier or as a credit on your fuel account. The program year runs October 1 through September 30, and a household can apply once per year. Find your local provider through the official LIHEAP public map at fortress.wa.gov/com/liheappublic/map.aspx, or contact Commerce at [email protected] or 360-725-2857. Apply early: benefits are first-come within funding windows.
Which Washington agency oversees propane dealers, and can I look one up?
The Washington State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO), housed within the Washington State Patrol, is the lead authority for LP-Gas in Washington. SFMO adopts and enforces NFPA 58, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code, through the Washington Administrative Code, and county and local fire authorities enforce installation and storage permits at the site level. The Department of Labor and Industries handles boiler and pressure-vessel inspection and fuel-gas piping under WAC 296. The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC) does not regulate propane retailers, its energy jurisdiction covers investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities only, so propane is not a regulated utility in Washington. There is no public, searchable per-dealer propane licence lookup for Washington, which is exactly why the directory on this page is built from the Pacific Propane Gas Association membership roster rather than a state registry. Verify a supplier by asking for its SFMO compliance status and current liability insurance in writing, and cross-check it against the PPGA directory at pacificpga.org and the National Propane Gas Association at npga.org.
Why does propane cost more on the islands and Olympic Peninsula?
Geography and ferry economics. The San Juan Islands (San Juan, Orcas, Lopez, Shaw), Whidbey, Vashon, Camano and the Hood Canal communities are propane-dependent because mains gas does not reach them. Bobtail trucks serving these communities pay Washington State Ferries surcharges, lose the better part of a working day per crossing, and run a fraction of the route density of an I-5-corridor route. The Olympic Peninsula (Forks, Sekiu, Quilcene, Brinnon, parts of Port Angeles outside the city core) adds long single-lane forest-route drive time. The combined effect is per-gallon premiums of 40 to 80 cents a gallon over the statewide estimate for ferry-served and remote-Olympic households. Reduce the impact by sizing up to a 500 or 1,000 gallon tank so you need fewer fills, running automatic delivery rather than will-call so the supplier can ferry-batch with neighbours, and locking a summer pre-buy before the November windstorm window opens.
Is there agricultural propane demand in Eastern Washington?
Yes, large and seasonal. Eastern Washington's tree-fruit belt (Yakima, Wenatchee, Chelan, Okanogan and Benton and Franklin counties) is the largest apple and cherry region in the United States, and growers run propane-fired orchard heaters and frost fans during spring frost events to protect blossom set and fruit on the tree. Hops growers in the Yakima Valley and wheat growers across the Palouse use propane for crop drying, heavily so on damp-harvest years. That pulls a sharp seasonal demand spike onto Eastern Washington bulk supply between mid-March and late May for frost season, and again from July into October for drying season, which is why summer pre-buy in the Tri-Cities, Yakima and Spokane markets often closes earlier than on the coast. Residential customers in those counties benefit by enrolling in pre-buy at the same time the growers do.
When is the cheapest time to buy propane in Washington?
Late spring through midsummer, roughly May through August. The national wholesale propane price typically bottoms in June and July when refinery output is high and residential demand is near zero, and Washington retailers run pre-buy and cap-price enrolment across that window, often at 20 to 40 cents a gallon off projected winter spot rates. Two Washington-specific timing factors matter. First, the November windstorm window: Western Washington's first major Pacific storm system usually arrives in early to mid-November and drives standby-generator fuel demand that pulls late-autumn pricing up. Second, the spring frost-fan window from mid-March through late May tightens Eastern Washington bulk supply just as you would otherwise hope for the off-season low. Lock in by mid-May if you are east of the Cascades; you have until late June on the wet side.
Keep reading
All Washington dealers
The complete verified directory of 52 Washington 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 Washington homes inside and outside the gas-main grid.