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Propane Heat: Tanks, Suppliers, Run-Outs
Propane heat runs on a tank someone owns, a supplier who fills it and a gauge you should read, and in New Hampshire and Vermont the law spells out what happens when you leave.
Written by the Fill Pipe desk from state, federal and maker documents · how the pages are made · Updated
First tap of the season
- About one in five households heats mainly with propane in New Hampshire (20.4%) and Vermont (19.8%), and 16.0% in Maine (2024 data, EIA).
- Maine law lets only a tank's owner, or someone it authorizes in writing, fill a propane tank (10 M.R.S. § 1658-A).
- Leftover gas in a removed tank must be refunded within 30 days in New Hampshire and 20 days in Vermont; Maine law doesn't require it.
- The propane industry's safety council (PERC) says a qualified professional must leak-check the system before gas flows again after a run-out.
- Propane dealers price in tiers, so smaller-volume customers pay more per gallon, according to Maine DOER.
- In EIA's weekly survey dated October 26, 2026, Maine households paid $3.679 a gallon for propane and Vermont households $3.930.
Smell gas? Get out first
- Get everyone out now. Don't touch light switches, phones, appliances or the garage door inside, and don't look for the leak.
- From outside and well away, call 911, then your propane supplier. Stay out until they say it's safe.
- Never go to the tank to work its valve during a suspected leak; that's the supplier's or responders' job.
- A carbon monoxide alarm, or headaches and nausea in the house: everyone outside, then call 911.
- If you're unsure, stop and call your supplier or a licensed technician.
What should propane heat customers know first?
Know who owns your tank, how full it is and who to call, because those three facts decide every other choice. PERC's homeowner safety booklet tells propane users to check the tank gauge periodically and talk over delivery timing with their retailer (PERC safety booklet).
The gauge under the tank's dome reads percent of capacity, not gallons; see reading a propane tank gauge. Home tanks are sized by water capacity, from 120 to 1,000 gallons in PERC's technical table, and propane tanks are typically filled to about 80% to leave room for expansion (PERC).
Who owns the propane tank?
In most homes the propane company owns the tank and leases it to you, and the Maine Attorney General says "most residential propane customers do not own their tanks." That ownership decides who may fill it, what fees you can be charged and what leaving costs.
Can you switch propane suppliers?
Yes, but with a leased tank the new supplier sets its own tank and the old one hauls theirs away, because only the owner may fill it. Maine DOER's propane pricing booklet warns that the new company will require a safety inspection and charge for it.
What happens if you run out of propane?
The heat and any pilots go out, and PERC says: "Never turn the gas on at the propane tank yourself." Your supplier or a qualified professional leak-checks the system, restores service and, if needed, takes care of the pilots.
How is propane delivered and priced?
Propane comes by automatic delivery or when you call, and you can pay per fill, through a budget plan or by prebuying gallons. Prices aren't regulated in any state, Maine DOER says, and smaller-volume customers pay more per gallon under tiered pricing.
The propane pages
How do the state rules differ?
They differ most on refunds and removal fees: New Hampshire and Vermont write them into statute, Maine leaves them to your contract, and we found no New York statute. Use the table below as a map, then read the linked law before you rely on it.
| State | Refund of propane left in a removed tank | No removal or termination fees after | Prebuy money secured by law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | Not required by law (Maine DOER) | No statute found | Yes, 10 M.R.S. § 1110 |
| New Hampshire | Within 30 days, at the last delivery price (RSA 339:79) | 24 months aboveground, 60 months underground | Yes, RSA 339:79 |
| Vermont | Within 20 days (9 V.S.A. § 2461b) | 12 months on the premises | Yes, 9 V.S.A. § 2461e |
| New York | No statute found; ask in writing | No statute found | No statute found |
Propane in the region
- 20.4%of New Hampshire households heat mainly with propane (2024)EIA state profile
- 19.8%of Vermont households heat mainly with propane (2024)EIA state profile
- 16.0%of Maine households heat mainly with propane (2024)EIA state profile
- 91,452Btu in a gallon of propaneEIA
- $3.794a gallon of New York residential propane (EIA week of Oct. 26, 2026)EIA weekly survey
Propane appliances need electricity like any furnace or boiler, so plan for outages with heat in a winter power outage. Thinking of leaving propane altogether? Start with switching from oil or propane.
Scaler's notes: how this page was put together
This hub summarizes the four propane pages and their sources: PERC's homeowner safety booklet and technical pocket booklet, Maine's Attorney General and DOER propane pricing booklet, 10 M.R.S. §§ 1110 and 1658-A, New Hampshire RSA 339:79, Vermont 9 V.S.A. §§ 2461b and 2461e, EIA state profiles (2024 data) and EIA's Heating Oil and Propane Update, read in October 2026. We left out supplier names, tank clearance distances and any New York contract rule, since we found no New York statute.
Questions from the woodshed
Is propane heat common in northern New England?
Yes. EIA's 2024 state profiles show propane as the main heating fuel for 20.4% of New Hampshire households, 19.8% in Vermont and 16.0% in Maine, against 4.7% in New York and nationally.
Do I need to shut off the propane when leaving for the winter?
No. PERC's booklet says you don't need to turn off your gas supply when leaving home for an extended period. The Red Cross advises leaving the heat set no lower than 55°F while you're away so pipes don't freeze.
Does a propane tank go with you when you move?
A leased tank stays with the company, not with you or the house. If you own the tank, sale terms decide; New Hampshire law lets an underground-tank customer purchase the dealer's buried tank while service continues.
Who sets propane prices?
The market. Maine DOER says propane prices aren't regulated in Maine or any other state, and New Hampshire's Department of Energy says the same of deliverable fuels.
Why is my per-gallon price higher than my neighbor's?
Volume tiers are one reason: Maine DOER says smaller-volume customers pay more per gallon, and households using propane only for cooking or hot water generally pay more than heating customers.
Where can I get help paying for propane?
Every state in the region has a program. In Vermont it's Seasonal Fuel Assistance; in Maine, HEAP via MaineHousing and local Community Action Agencies; New Hampshire's is called the Fuel Assistance Program; New York's HEAP, through OTDA, opens its regular benefit on November 2, 2026.
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