Switching Propane Companies
Switching propane companies with a leased tank means one tank comes out and another goes in, with a safety check, a refund question and state deadlines in New Hampshire and Vermont along the way.
Written by the Fill Pipe desk from state, federal and maker documents · how the pages are made · Updated
First tap of the season
- A new company can't fill your old supplier's tank under Maine's filling statute, 10 M.R.S. § 1658-A reserves filling to the owner or someone it authorizes in writing.
- Maine DOER says the new company "will require a safety inspection" and will charge you for it.
- New Hampshire gives the old dealer 30 calendar days from your written or electronic notice to remove or transfer its tank, and 30 days from disconnection to refund leftover propane.
- Vermont requires the refund within 20 days and bars termination fees once the tank has sat on your property 12 months.
- A Vermont seller that pays a refund late owes a $250 penalty on the first day and $75 a day after that (9 V.S.A. § 2461b).
- PERC says any interruption of gas service calls for a leak check by your retailer or a qualified professional before service is restored.
How does switching propane companies work?
Switching propane companies takes five moves: read your contract, line up the new supplier, give the old one written notice, let the tanks be swapped, and collect any refund. Each step leaves a paper trail, which is what you'll need if a deadline is missed.
- Read your contract and fee list. Maine DOER's propane pricing booklet names the fees to look for, including tank removal and fuel pump-out if you're switching. Check for an early-termination clause too; New Hampshire's fee ban doesn't stop charges for leaving a fixed-price or prepaid contract early.
- Line up the new supplier. Get its terms and fees in writing; in Vermont, Consumer Protection Rule 111 requires a standard disclosure form for new customers (Vermont AG).
- Notify the old company in writing, with the date, the tank's location and a photo of the gauge.
- Let the companies swap tanks. The new supplier sets its tank and connects the house; the old one disconnects and removes its own.
- Collect the refund, where state law requires one.
Why can't a new company fill a leased tank?
Because the tank belongs to your current supplier, and filling someone else's tank is against the law in Maine and, Maine DOER says, in most other states. The Maine AG puts it bluntly: "Maine law prohibits a propane dealer from filling a tank they do not own."
So a switch with a leased tank always means two trucks. If you own your tank instead, there's no swap; the new supplier checks the system and fills it. Vermont's statute says a seller can't refuse to deliver to a customer-owned tank once ownership is shown and its safety check under NFPA 54 and NFPA 58 is done. The trade-offs of owning are on leased or owned propane tank.
What fees and refunds apply when switching propane companies?
That depends on your state, because only New Hampshire and Vermont set the rules by statute. Maine DOER says dealers there "generally reimburse customers" for leftover propane "at the prevailing price, although state law does not require them to do so."
- New Hampshire, RSA 339:79: the refund is paid at "the actual price per gallon paid for the most recent delivery," minus anything you owe, in cash, check, direct deposit or your original payment method, not as account credit unless you ask. If the amount left can't be measured, the dealer pays 80% of its best estimate within 30 days and the rest within 14 days of removal. Removal and pump-out fees end once the tank has been there 24 months (aboveground) or 60 months (underground), though actual excavation costs can still be charged.
- Vermont, 9 V.S.A. § 2461b: the refund is due within 20 days of termination or your written notice of disconnection, whichever is earlier. After 12 months on the premises the seller may not charge to remove the tank, pump it out or end service. The tank comes out within 20 days, or 30 if it's buried.
- New York: we found no statute on propane refunds or removal, so get both promised in writing.
A violation of New Hampshire's section counts as an unfair or deceptive practice under RSA 358-A, the state's consumer protection law. In Vermont, note one catch in (h)(5): a customer who blocks access to the tank isn't owed the refund until they take the reasonable steps the seller identifies.
| State | Old tank removed within | Leftover propane refund | Removal fees banned after |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maine | Set by your contract | Usually paid, but no law requires it (Maine DOER) | None in statute |
| New Hampshire | 30 calendar days or when weather and access allow | 30 days, at last delivery price | 24 months aboveground, 60 underground |
| Vermont | 20 days; 30 for underground | 20 days | 12 months |
| New York | Not in any statute we found | Ask for it in writing | Not in any statute we found |
Who does the leak check at the switch?
The new supplier or another qualified professional does, before gas service starts again. PERC's safety booklet says that when "the gas service is interrupted," your retailer or a qualified professional should "perform a leak check, restore gas service, and, if needed, light your pilot lights."
That is not a homeowner job. PERC lists "any service or changes to the gas distribution system, including tanks, cylinders, pipes, and their components" as work for a qualified professional, and Vermont requires anyone installing or servicing propane systems to hold a state certification. Leave pilots, valves and connections to the crews. What a supplier looks at is covered in propane tank inspection.
How should you time a switch between propane companies?
Plan the switch for a stretch when you can live a day or two without propane heat, which in this region means early fall or late spring. New Hampshire's removal clock bends to "as soon as weather and access to the tank allow," so frozen ground or deep snow can stretch it.
Watch the contract calendar too. New Hampshire bars dealers from advertising prepaid contracts before May 1 or after October 31 of the season they cover, and a new or higher fee can't take effect until 60 days after written notice. If you prebought gallons from the old company, settle that contract first; see propane delivery and prebuy plans.
Keep the tank reachable whatever the season. PERC asks owners to clear the walkway and tank area so crews can get to it, and to brush heavy snow off regulators and piping with a broom rather than a shovel.
Switching deadlines
- 30 daysNew Hampshire deadline to refund leftover propane after disconnectionRSA 339:79
- 80%of the dealer's best estimate refunded first in NH when the amount is uncertainRSA 339:79
- 20 daysVermont refund deadline9 V.S.A. § 2461b
- $250Vermont penalty on the first day a refund is late9 V.S.A. § 2461b
What should you get in writing?
Get the gauge reading, the refund amount and the removal date from the old company, and every fee from the new one. Written notice also starts New Hampshire's and Vermont's clocks.
Paper to keep
From the old company
The date it received your notice, the gauge reading at disconnection, the refund amount and how it will be paid, and the removal date.
From the new company
A list of every fee (tank rental, safety check, delivery minimums), how and when it decides to deliver, and a direct number for problems.
For yourself
Dated photos of the gauge and the tank, and copies of both contracts.
Stop and call if
- You smell propane at any point during the swap: get everyone out, use no switches or phones inside, and call 911 and then the supplier from well away. More on a propane smell in the house.
- Appliances won't light after the new tank is connected: don't touch valves or pilots; call the new supplier back.
- A carbon monoxide alarm sounds: everyone outside and call 911.
- If you're unsure, stop and call your supplier or a licensed technician.
Scaler's notes: how this page was put together
Sources for this page: the Maine filling statute (10 M.R.S. § 1658-A), the Maine Attorney General's heating fuels page and Maine DOER's propane pricing booklet for 2026-27; New Hampshire's RSA 339:79 in the version that took effect on August 31, 2026; the Vermont propane statute (9 V.S.A. § 2461b), the Vermont AG's Rule 111 summary and Vermont's Division of Fire Safety; and PERC's homeowner safety booklet, read October 2026. Supplier names, typical fees and New York rules are not given; no primary source we read covered them.
Questions from the woodshed
Can I switch propane companies in the middle of winter?
You can, but the swap leaves a gap without propane, and New Hampshire's removal deadline stretches when weather or access to the tank is a problem. Early fall or late spring is easier on everyone.
Does the old company have to buy back my leftover propane in Maine?
Not by law. Maine DOER says dealers generally reimburse leftover propane at the prevailing price, but state law doesn't require it, so check your contract.
How is the New Hampshire refund paid?
In cash, check, direct deposit, charge back or the way you paid the dealer, not as a credit on your account unless you ask for that. It's based on the price of your most recent delivery, minus anything you owe.
Can the old dealer charge me to remove its tank in Vermont?
Not if the tank has been on the property 12 months or more. Before that, check your contract for removal or pump-out fees.
Do I need to be home when the tanks are swapped?
The statutes don't say. PERC calls for the entire system to be checked, appliances included, so the crew will likely need to get inside. Ask the new supplier what it needs, and keep the path to the tank clear.
What if the dealer is slow to remove its tank?
In New Hampshire, a dealer that can't remove the tank within 30 days must tell you in writing why and give regular updates. Vermont's deadline is 20 days for an aboveground tank and 30 for a buried one.
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