Where the numbers come from
Plain answers to the questions people ask before they pick up the phone.
Who sets these prices?
The suppliers do. Some post their price here each morning. For others, we read the price they publish on their own website. Electricity offers come from each state’s official shopping site, and utility default rates from the utility or the state commission. Each price shows where it came from and when we last saw it.
Where the dealer list comes from
State license and registration records first: heating-fuel and LP-gas dealer registries, delivery-truck meter licenses and state commission supplier lists. Where a state keeps no public list, we add local dealers’ own websites, the branch pages of the national propane and oil companies, and OpenStreetMap, the open map anyone can edit. Then we read each dealer’s website for the towns they serve, their posted prices and their terms.
“Nearby” dealers
Many dealers don’t publish a list of the towns they deliver to. When a dealer lists towns, we only show them in those towns. When they don’t, we show them to people within 25 miles of their address for heating oil, or 35 miles for propane, and say how far away they are. Call to confirm they deliver to you.
What does the price include?
It’s the per-gallon price the supplier posted for that delivery size and payment method. Some add a delivery fee, a small-delivery charge, or tax on top; when a supplier tells us about one, we show it. Always confirm the total when you order.
How do you rank them?
By price, for the delivery size and payment method you choose, among suppliers that list your town as one they deliver to, or that are based nearby. Only recent prices are ranked: heating oil posted in the last 2 days, propane in the last 3. Older prices are listed separately so they never pass for today’s. Nobody pays to rank higher.
Why isn’t my dealer here?
Every dealer we know of is in the directory, but many don’t publish prices online. On each town page you’ll find the ones that deliver there, with a phone number. Dealers can claim their listing and post prices for free.
Electricity is different
Your utility always delivers your power. In about a third of states you can choose who supplies it: the utility’s default service (standard service, price to compare, basic service) or a retail supplier. We show supply rates next to the default, so you can compare like with like. Texas is the exception: its official site publishes all-in averages that include delivery. Watch for variable rates that change after a few months, usage bill credits, and cancellation fees. Everywhere else we show each utility’s average residential price, from its filings with the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
State averages
Statewide heating oil and propane averages come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s weekly survey, collected October through March.
How do alerts decide when to email?
Every time prices change, we look up the lowest current price for each alert. A “prices drop” alert emails you when that lowest price has fallen at least 5¢ a gallon (0.25¢ per kWh for electricity) since we last checked. A target alert emails you once when the price reaches your number, then again only after it has gone back above it. Never more than one email a day per alert.
What stops a supplier gaming it?
Suppliers are verified against their state license or registration before their prices go live. A posted price well below others nearby waits for a person to check it before it’s shown or sent to anyone. So does a price we read off a website that’s far below the rest of the state that day, since it’s more likely an old banner than a bargain.