Propane Delivery and Prebuy Plans

How does propane delivery work?

A bobtail truck fills your tank on the supplier's schedule (automatic) or when you call (will-call), and only the tank's owner, or a company it authorizes, may fill it. That last point means a leased tank ties your delivery plan to the company that owns it; see leased or owned propane tank.

On will-call, the gauge is your schedule. PERC's safety booklet says to check the tank gauge periodically and talk through delivery options and timing with your retailer. The dial reads percent of the tank's capacity, and propane tanks are typically filled to about 80% to leave room for expansion (PERC), so a reading of 80 after a fill is normal. More on the dial is in reading a propane tank gauge.

Vermont limits how big a minimum order a seller can demand. Under Consumer Protection Rule 111, a seller can't require more than 100 gallons at a time, or more than the tank holds, from a customer whose tank is under 250 gallons. Where a seller offers a reasonable payment or budget plan, the minimums rise with tank size: 125 gallons for a 250-gallon tank, 175 for a 325, 225 for a 500 and 300 for a 1,000.

Is automatic propane delivery worth it?

Automatic delivery is worth it if you want the supplier to watch your tank, but get the trigger in writing, because it can fail. Maine DOER's propane pricing booklet says that "during the 2025-26 heating season, many auto-fill customers did not receive timely deliveries."

Its advice: ask for the specific conditions that set off a delivery, such as the tank falling below a stated level, and a direct contact number. Maine's Attorney General adds that if an automatic-delivery company fails to deliver and you end up out or low, you "should not be required to pay any fee or charge for an emergency delivery" (Maine AG). If it does happen, read ran out of propane before anyone touches the system.

What is a propane prebuy plan?

A propane prebuy plan is a contract where you pay ahead for a set number of gallons at a set price, and the dealer must back that money with security. New Hampshire's Department of Energy explains pre-buy contracts as a deal in which "the amount of fuel and the price cannot be altered," and answers whether the dealer will drop your price if the market falls with one word: "No."

The three northern New England states write prebuy protection into statute and each covers liquefied petroleum gas by name:

• New Hampshire: within 7 days of your acceptance the dealer must hold one of four protections, such as a surety bond for at least 50% of prepaid funds. Prepaid offers can only be advertised from May 1 to October 31, and dealers must give you the option of reimbursement at the contract price, within 30 calendar days, for undelivered gallons and prorated prebuy fees.
• Vermont: 9 V.S.A. § 2461e requires the contract to state the money paid, the maximum gallons committed and how it's secured, with undelivered propane reimbursed at the contract price within 30 days of the end date unless both sides agree otherwise.
• Maine: 10 M.R.S. § 1110 applies the same kind of security and 30-day reimbursement to liquefied petroleum gas contracts.

Some dealers offer a price cap instead, which New Hampshire's DOE describes as a feature that "sets a cap on the price a customer will pay per unit of fuel." For New York, we found no prebuy statute in the sources we read, so get the gallons, price, end date and refund terms on paper.

How do propane prices compare by state?

On one survey and one date, propane cost $3.679 to $3.930 a gallon across the four states. The EIA Heating Oil and Propane Update for the week of October 26, 2026 is the fair yardstick because it uses one method everywhere; it excludes taxes, and the U.S. average was $2.730.

State surveys use different methods, so read them on their own. Maine DOER's survey showed $3.52 on October 19, 2026, a 30-day cash or credit price for households using at least 900 gallons a year; it says cooking- or hot-water-only users generally pay more. New Hampshire's DOE survey showed $4.17 on October 26, 2026. Vermont's Public Service Department reported a September 2026 monthly average of $3.09, a simple average that includes discounted credit prices. To weigh propane against oil per million Btu, see heating oil vs propane.

Propane by the numbers

• $3.930Vermont residential propane per gallon, week of October 26, 2026EIA Heating Oil and Propane Update
• $3.52Maine statewide propane average, October 19, 2026 (900+ gallons a year)Maine DOER
• $4.17New Hampshire propane average, October 26, 2026NH Department of Energy
• 225 gallonslargest minimum delivery a Vermont seller may set for a 500-gallon tank under a budget planVermont CP 111

What do budget plans cost you?

A budget plan costs what the propane costs; it only changes the timing of your payments. New Hampshire's DOE describes budget plans as equal payments for 10 or 11 months, with each delivery priced on its day, and says their purpose "is not to save money but to make heating costs more manageable."

The dealer's prebuy security rules don't extend to budget plans in New Hampshire, where equal monthly plans are exempt, or in Vermont, where plans paying 1/12 of the yearly cost each month are exempt. If you're paying ahead of deliveries, ask whether the plan is a budget plan or a secured prebuy, because the protection differs.

What should a propane contract say?

It should list every fee and the delivery terms in plain words before you sign. New Hampshire requires dealers to give a written disclosure itemizing all fees before service starts, and Vermont's Rule 111 requires a standardized new-customer disclosure form.

Before you sign

Questions from the woodshed

More on propane

• Folder: Propane hub
• Propane: Switching propane companies
• Heating oil: Heating oil delivery plans
• Folder: Oil and propane safety