Find the latest Propane Prices here

What Influences Propane Prices?

What will propane gas cost to fill your tank this year? What kind of price can I expect from my propane supplier? Propane prices occasionally spike, increasing disproportionately beyond that expected from normal supply/demand fluctuations. The main cause appears to lie in the logistical difficulty of obtaining resupply during the peak heating season. Because propane is produced at a relatively steady rate year-round by refineries and gas processing plants, there is no ready source of incremental production when supplies run low.

Propane wholesalers and retailers are forced to pay higher prices as propane markets are bid higher due to dwindling supply. Consequently, higher propane prices are simply passed on to consumers. Imports do not offer much cushion for unexpected demand increases or supply shortages due to the long travel time. On the other hand, when propane prices do spike, the petrochemical sector may cut back on its use, thus freeing up supplies for other uses.

Propane prices are subject to a number of influences, some common to all petroleum products, and others unique to propane. Because propane is portable, it can serve many different markets, from fueling barbecue grills to producing petrochemicals. The price of propane in these markets is influenced by many factors, including the prices of competing fuels in each market; the distance propane has to travel to reach a customer; and the volumes used by a customer. More especially, propane prices are affected by Crude Oil and Natural Gas Prices. Although propane is produced from both crude oil refining and natural gas processing, its price is influenced mainly by the cost of crude oil. This is because propane competes mostly with crude oil-based fuels.

This is the last update from the Energy Information Agency for propane prices for the 2011-2012 season. Price updates will resume in October of 2012.

Residential Propane Prices For The Week Ending March 19, 2012

Propane gas for home use increased by less than a penny per gallon to just under $2.87 a gallon. This is one cent a gallon higher than the price last year at this time. Wholesale propane gas prices dropped 8 cents a gallon to $1.24 a gallon. This is about 16 cents a gallon lower than last year.

Price Of Propane Gas Per Gallon For The Week Ending March 5, 2012

Propane for residential use has remained flat this week at $2.87 per gallon. This is just over 1 cent a gallon higher than last year at this time. The average wholesale price dropped more than a penny to $1.23 a gallon, 23 cents a gallon cheaper than last year.

Residential Propane Prices Are Up Slightly For The Week Ending February 27, 2012

Home propane prices rose fractionally this by less than a penny to settle at $2.87 a gallon this week. This is one cent higher per gallon than this time last winter. Wholesale prices dropped by 8 cents a gallon this week to drop to $1.25 a gallon. This is 44 cents per gallon than the wholesale lp price last year at this time.

National Propane Price Averages for the week ending February 23, 2012

Good news for residential users of liquid propane gas for heat. The average price across the United States for propane remained level at $2.86 per gallon. This compares to $2.82 cents a gallon last year. Wholesale prices increased by less than a penny to $1.17. This is 23 cents less than the price last year at this time.

Propane costs for the week ending February 13, 2012

Propane heating costs rose less than a penny this week to settle at $2.86 a gallon. While prices have been steady this is still 4 cents a gallon higher than last year. The average wholesale price for home propane use decreased by about 4 cents a gallon to about $1.16 a gallon. This is 24 cents lower than last years February 13th price.

Propane gas Prices For The Week Ending February 6,2012

The current propane rate slightly dropped this week to finish at just under $2.86 per gallon. This is only about 3 cents a gallon higher than last February 6, 2011 price of propane gas.

Wholesale lp gas prices dropped even more. They were 5 cents a gallon lower than last week to finish at $1.20 a gallon. This price is 21 cents a gallon lower than the $1.41 a gallon charged last year at the wholesale level.

Average Propane Prices For The Week Ending January 30, 2012

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, but average propane prices have remained steady at just under $2.87 per gallon. This price is five cents a gallon higher than this time last heating season. The average wholesale price for propane gas remains at about $1.23 a gallon. This is 19 cents a gallon cheaper than last season.

Current price of propane for the week ending January 23, 2012

Propane fuel prices for residential users dropped about 1 penny this week down to $2.86 per gallon. This is 6 cents higher than this week last heating season. Propane wholesale price rose 3 cents per gallon this week to end at $1.23 a gallon. This is 22 cents a gallon cheaper than last year at this time.

Cost of propane for the week ending January 18, 2012

The EIA has reported the national average propane price to be $2.87 per gallon for  2 consecutive weeks. This winter has been relatively mild compared to last year, but prices are still 8 cents higher this week than last year’s prices.

Propane wholesale prices dropped 5 cents per gallon to almost $1.21 per gallon. The wholesale price was $1.45 a gallon last year at this time, so prices have dropped about 25 cents per gallon.

Current propane prices for the week ending January 11, 2012

This is starting to sound like a broken record. Current residential propane prices increased less than 1 cent per gallon, leaving it at $2.87 a gallon. Propane prices have been steady over the last few weeks, but are still 11 cents a gallon ahead of last year’s prices.

The wholesale level of propane prices decreased by about 8 cents a gallon this week to $1.26 a gallon. This is 16 cents a gallon lower than this time last winter.

Price of propane gas for the week ending January 5, 2012

Continuing a trend that has developed over the last several weeks, propane prices rose less than a penny again this week to reach $2.87 per gallon. Despite this small increase in price, the cost of propane per gallon is now 13 cents higher than it was at this time last year. Wholesale propane costs dropped a penny this week to $1.34 per gallon. This is 8 cents a gallon lower than last year.

Propane cost for the week ending December 26, 2011

This week as we were all exchanging presents, the average price nationally of residential propane prices rose only fractionally to remain at $2.86 per gallon. This has left propane prices in the $2.80 range for several weeks now. This is 15 cents per gallon higher than last year at this time. The wholesale average increased 2 cents a gallon to $1.35 per gallon. This is 7 cents a gallon lower than last year.

Other propane prices sources:

Weekly Propane Prices

This Week In Petroleum

Date    Weekly Mont Belvieu, TX Propane Spot Price FOB  (Cents per Gallon)

Sep 17, 2010    113.54

Sep 10, 2010    109.94

Sep 03, 2010    108.13

Aug 27, 2010    105.95

Aug 20, 2010    104.58

Aug 13, 2010    107.36

Aug 06, 2010    110.83

Jul 30, 2010    107.13

Jul 23, 2010    101.12

Jul 16, 2010    98.88

Jul 09, 2010    97.61

Jul 02, 2010    98.61

Jun 25, 2010    100.23

Jun 18, 2010    103.26

Jun 11, 2010    105.88

Jun 04, 2010    108.97

May 28, 2010    103.83

May 21, 2010    104.57

May 14, 2010    112.4

May 07, 2010    111.9

Apr 30, 2010    113.74

Apr 23, 2010    112.34

Apr 16, 2010    113.55

Apr 09, 2010    115.36

Apr 02, 2010    111.06

Mar 26, 2010    111.42

Mar 19, 2010    112.09

Mar 12, 2010    114.35

Mar 05, 2010    118.48

Use these prices as a guide when purchasing propane gas.

· First things first. Is you current supplier or prospective propane supplier registered with you state’s Department of Consumer Protection? Most states require suppliers to be registered and licensed. If a supplier isn’t registered, how can you trust them? When you decide on a supplier, call your state first to see if there is any complaints filed against them and to verify they are registered before signing up with them.

· Shop around. The price of propane can vary a great deal between competitors in the same market. You should call several suppliers to see what their current prices are and what type of service they supply. You can also shop online checking for the latest prices that a supplier is offering Prices will also vary depending on the amount of propane gas that you need delivered at the time. Obviously the more you order the more of a price break you should receive. Someone who is heating their home with propane should get a better price per gallon than someone who only uses propane for a pool or just for cooking.

· Talk to your neighbors. Find out who they are using and why? Do they offer great prices, great service, ask around. You will need to compare the same terms. Are the prices quoted by the supplier for a leased tank or a purchased one? Is the volume you need the same as your neighbor?

· Possibly form a buying group with your neighbors. There is power in numbers. If you and several of your neighbors can band together and form a buying group, you should be able to get a discount on your purchases. What propane gas supplier wouldn’t be happy to have a group to sell to each and every month?

· If you lease your tank, see if it would save you money if you purchased your tank. Simply ask for a quote from your current supplier AND from the competition. The next time you have your leased tanked filled, call around and ask for quotes for a delivery to a customer owned tank. With these figures, you now calculate whether it is cheaper for you to own your tank or to be a tank leaser.

· When receiving delivery make sure your ticket is accurate. Very simple right? Make sure the proper amount of propane was delivered and the amount on the ticket was the price you were quoted. Mistakes can be made, so stay on top of this.

· Check here to see the current trends in propane prices. If prices have been trending down, but your supplier’s prices is still the same or worse higher, call them out on it by showing the national trend from here.

· For any contract you sign, make sure you receive a signed and dated copy for your records. Also keep your keep all of your delivery receipts for about a year in case of any disputes. Keep these papers with your mortgage papers for easy retrieval if necessary.

· Ask your supplier for a discount. Why not, right? If you have been a steady customer for years, why shouldn’t you get a better price? It cost you nothing to ask, and you have everything to gain don’t you?

· When in doubt, asked until you are satisfied. Have things in writing so all the terms and conditions are clear to you. If anything is unclear, don’t sign until you understand the conditions.

There you have it, some simple steps to take to protect yourself from overpaying and getting the best propane prices this winter. Most propane gas suppliers are reputable, but you should always be looking to protect yourself.

Read these articles to save money on your heating costs

19 Low Cost Ways To Cut Your Energy Bill Now

Caulking Windows And Doors

Buy A Programmable Thermostat

Stop Those Air Leaks Around Your Pipes

How To Install A Programmable Thermostat

Insulate Light Switches And Electrical Outlets

Buying And Installing A Door Sweep

Insulating the Attic Door With An Attic Door Cover

Window And Door Weatherstripping Information

Change Your Furnace Filters Frequently To Improve Energy Efficiency

Use A Chimney Balloon To Stop Warm Air From Going Up The Flue

Install Air Conditioner Covers

Buy A Window Insulation Kit

How To Seal Your Ducts And Save Money

Heating fuel prices in Vermont are not regulated. However there are laws designed to help consumers from getting ripped off. The Vermont Energy Act of 2011  helped to strengthen consumer protection.

This law has now stopped propane dealers from the following:

• Requiring a minimum annual fuel purchase. This is allowed only under a guarantees price plan.
• Charging a minimum use fee
• Charging a fee for termination of service if the tank has been on your property for more than 12 months

To further protect consumers, there are now new customer disclosure forms that a dealer must fill out for you. This will show you line by line what you are being charged for and exactly how much the charge will be so there are no surprises for you.

Other helpful links:

Vermont Fuel Dealers Association 

Vermont Department of Public Safety Code enforcement of propane

Vermont Attorney General Office Consumer Fraud Rule (CF) 111 Regualtion Of Propane effective January 1, 2012

Vermont Seasonal Fuel Assistance Program

Propane Pa

Current Pa propane prices for the week ending January 11. Propane prices per gallon pa continued to rise this week. Residential propane prices Pennsylvania rose almost 13 cents this week. This is because propane inventories continue to fall. Increase in demand from the recent cold weather have caused prices to jump. Wholesale propane prices for pa also rose this week by 10 cents.

Propane Prices for Pennsylvania for the week ending Jan 4 2010. For the 6th straight week propane prices Pa have increased. This week wholesale propane prices jumped over 7 cents while residential propane prices PA rose over 8 cents.

Helpful links for Maine propane users:

Efficiency Maine Website

Shows how you can lower your energy costs and possibly qualify for loans to improve your energy efficiency

http://www.efficiencymaine.com/pace

Governor’s office of energy independence and Security

Helpful site from the Governor’s office

http://www.maine.gov/oeis/index.html

Maine energy marketers

Find a local dealer and energy saving tips.

http://www.maineenergymarketers.com/

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Maine State Housing Authority web site. If you qualify, you may be able to get assistance from the state to help pay for your heating bills. Also weatherization plans and other ways to lower your energy costs.

http://www.mainehousing.org/programs-services/Energy/EnergyDetail?ProgramID=37

You can find Mont Belvieu propane prices here.

From this storage, propane can move to several areas of the country via pipelines. These pipelines travel to other storage facilites in the Northeast and Southeast and also travel to the Gulf Of Mexico where the propane can be transported by ship.

Remember when you see the propane prices from Mont Belvieu, that doesn’t included freight or tariff charges to your location. All that will be added ot the Mt. Belvieu price.

Inventories of Propane Experience a Large Draw
Last week propane inventories experienced the largest weekly draw since February 2007, falling below the lower limit of the average range for the first time this year. Total U.S. inventories decreased 4.0 million barrels to 57.4 million barrels. The Gulf Coast regional stocks dropped 2.2 million barrels and the Midwest region declined 1.1 million barrels. The East Coast and Rocky Mountain/West Coast regions each drew 0.3 million barrels of inventory.

Propane Inventories  Continue to Draw
Over the past eight weeks, propane inventories have plummeted 11.5 million barrels from a level well above the average range to near the lower boundary of the average range. Total U.S. inventories of propane fell by 1.3 million barrels last week to 61.4 million barrels. The Midwest regional stocks experienced the largest decline of 0.8 million barrels. The Gulf Coast region drew by 0.4 million barrels and the Rocky Mountain/West Coast region fell by 0.1 million barrels. The East Coast regional inventories grew slightly.