Ohio Propane Price 2026: Cost Per Gallon, Suppliers & Delivery

Ohio residential propane runs $2.69/gal in 2026, essentially at the $2.67 national average and 30% above the Midwest regional norm. This is the no-spin breakdown: structural drivers, fill-by-tank-size math, Ohio HEAP help, the Eastern Ohio rural premium, and how to actually save money in a market where Marcellus/Utica supply meets metro natural-gas dominance.

Latest EIA residential propane price

Source: EIA Ohio residential propane price survey. Current data is the final release of the 2025/26 heating season (week ending 30 March 2026). EIA pauses weekly publication April-September; next release expected October 2026. Refreshed 26 May 2026.

Ohio Propane Pricing Snapshot (2026)

Ohio residential avg

$2.69/gal

EIA 2026 weekly survey, full-service residential delivery

vs national average

+1%

National avg $2.67/gal. OH pays $0.02 more per gallon.

vs Midwest region avg

+30%

Region avg $2.07/gal. Ohio is the most expensive Midwest state in the 2026 dataset.

Annual fuel cost (900 gal)

$2426

Typical OH propane-heat household uses 700-1,200 gal/year

500-gal refill (400 usable)

$1078

Most common residential tank size in OH

Pre-buy savings (May-Aug)

$200-$400/yr

Lock-in or cap-price contracts beat winter spot pricing

Ohio sits at the national average in our 2026 dataset, which makes it the most expensive Midwest state despite Marcellus/Utica NGL access and two in-state refineries. The story is structural: metro natural-gas dominance limits the residential propane customer base, while Eastern Ohio rural Appalachian counties carry a delivered-cost premium that drags the statewide weekly EIA average upward. Ohio at $2.69/gal sits above Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska in the Midwest peer set.

Why Ohio Propane Prices Sit Where They Do

On paper Ohio should be a cheap propane state. It sits directly on the Marcellus/Utica wet-gas play, hosts two in-state refineries, and connects to the national propane pipeline grid via Sunoco Logistics. In practice, Ohio comes out at the national average and tops the Midwest cost table. Four structural factors explain the gap.

1. Strong supply, but heavy demand layered on it. Eastern Ohio is on the Marcellus/Utica wet-gas play, one of the largest NGL production zones in the world. RBN estimates over 200 thousand barrels per day of NGLs are recovered in eastern Ohio, with major fractionators in Harrison County and across the river in West Virginia. The BP-Husky Toledo refinery (160,000 bpd, now Cenovus-operated) and the Marathon Lima refinery add propane as a refining co-product. Supply is genuinely strong. The catch: Ohio also has heavy in-state propane demand from agriculture (corn-drying, the country's seventh-largest corn crop), Holmes County Amish off-grid households, and rural Appalachian heating. Strong supply meets strong demand and the residential price lands at national average rather than below.

2. Metro natural-gas dominance limits the customer base. Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Akron, and Dayton all run on natural gas (Columbia Gas of Ohio, Dominion Energy Ohio, Duke Energy Ohio) for residential heating. That covers the bulk of the state's population. Propane is left with rural counties, Amish settlements, lakeshore cottages, and newer subdivisions outside the gas footprint. A smaller customer base means fewer supplier routes per square mile, weaker bulk-storage economies, and higher per-gallon overhead. Ohio's residential propane volume is much smaller than the population suggests, which is why per-gallon prices come in higher than the supply position alone would predict.

3. Eastern Ohio rural Appalachian premium drags the statewide average up. Belmont, Monroe, Noble, Guernsey, Harrison, Athens, Vinton, Meigs, Morgan, Perry, Hocking, Jackson, Pike, and Adams counties rely on propane for non-electric heating because they sit outside the natural-gas footprint. Routes are longer per customer, suppliers are fewer, and delivered prices typically run $0.15-$0.30 above the urban band. The statewide weekly EIA number blends both. That blended number is what shows on this page; the rural delivered number is materially higher.

4. Holmes County Amish demand is a price floor. The Holmes-Wayne-Tuscarawas Old Order Amish settlement is the largest in the world, with around 40,000 members. Old Order households reject grid electricity but accept propane, so propane runs gas refrigerators, ranges, gas-mantle lighting, water heaters, and many shop tools. That creates an unusually dense, year-round, contractually-locked residential propane demand cluster in north-central Ohio. Local suppliers there know it and price accordingly. The rest of the state's rural propane band trades against the Holmes County floor.

Ohio Propane Companies: How to Build Your Quote List

Ohio's residential propane market splits into nine common tiers. We do not name specific dealers on this page because verified branch coverage drifts and we have seen dealer rosters change quarter to quarter. Use the framework below to assemble your own quote list, and verify any dealer you are about to sign with against the Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Industrial Compliance dealer registration before signing.

National chain A

National chain

Coverage: Statewide via depots across Ohio's metro corridors and outstate. Service points in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Dayton, Akron, and rural eastern Ohio.

Notes: Largest US propane retailers operate budget plans, auto-fill, and tank-exchange across Ohio. Predictable service. Per-gallon rates rarely beat regional cooperatives or local independents but coverage is broadest. Best when you need a supplier in multiple zip codes or already have a national-chain tank.

National chain B

National chain

Coverage: Statewide; service into Hamilton, Butler, Clermont, Franklin, Cuyahoga, Summit, Lucas, and Montgomery counties plus rural delivery on outlying routes.

Notes: Comparable pricing to chain A. Negotiate hard on first-fill rate and per-gallon contract before signing. Both chains run pre-buy and cap-price programs in May-August; ask for the cap option if you want optional upside.

Ohio farmer-owned cooperative

Regional cooperative

Coverage: Central, eastern, and western Ohio agricultural counties. Bulk plants serving Madison, Union, Franklin, Pickaway, Fayette, Greene, Clinton, Delaware, Logan, Champaign, and Clark counties typical.

Notes: Cooperatives often beat the nationals on per-gallon rate because they price for member rebates rather than chain margin. Strong on agricultural propane (corn-drying, dairy heat) and bulk-tank residential. Membership fee may apply but is usually recouped in one heating season.

Regional family operator

Coverage: Multi-county service area, typically a contiguous block of 5-10 counties. Common footprints: Lake Erie counties (Lucas, Ottawa, Erie, Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, Ashtabula), Tri-State southern Ohio (Brown, Highland, Clermont, Adams, Scioto, Lawrence), or eastern Ohio (Belmont, Monroe, Noble, Guernsey, Harrison).

Notes: Family-owned, multi-generational. In-state bulk storage shaves a margin layer versus rail-to-truck-only operators. Mid-priced, service-focused. Often the price leader inside their service block but limited reach outside it.

Holmes County Amish-country specialist

Local independent

Coverage: Holmes, Wayne, Tuscarawas, and Coshocton counties. Service into Berlin, Sugarcreek, Walnut Creek, Millersburg, Mount Hope, Charm, and surrounding Old Order Amish settlements.

Notes: Specialist suppliers who carry Amish-spec appliances (Servel absorption refrigerators, Aladdin gas-mantle lamps, Crystal range tops) alongside fuel delivery. Pre-buy enrollment opens in May for the following 12 months and is usually the most competitive rate in Holmes County. Ask about cylinder-exchange routes for outbuildings and shops.

Eastern Ohio rural independent

Local independent

Coverage: Belmont, Monroe, Noble, Guernsey, Harrison, Carroll, Jefferson counties (eastern Appalachian belt) or Athens, Vinton, Meigs, Morgan, Hocking, Perry, Jackson counties (southeastern Appalachian belt).

Notes: Direct access to Marcellus/Utica NGL supply via short-haul truck from West Virginia and eastern Ohio fractionators. Smaller operator with fewer routes but tighter route density inside the service block. Often the price leader for the eastern Ohio rural premium markets.

Western Ohio agricultural specialist

Local independent

Coverage: Mercer, Auglaize, Van Wert, Paulding, Putnam, Hancock, Wood, Henry, Defiance counties (NW Ohio corn belt) plus Madison, Union, Champaign, Logan, Fayette counties (central Ohio corn-soy mix).

Notes: Agricultural propane focus: corn-drying, soybean drying, livestock heat, irrigation engines. Lock in agricultural pre-buy by July; the corn-belt wholesale rate moves with September-October weather forecasts after that. Residential delivery as a secondary route line.

Lake Erie corridor specialist

Local independent

Coverage: Lucas, Ottawa, Erie, Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, Ashtabula counties. Cottage country, lakeshore residential, and small-business propane (restaurants, marinas).

Notes: Seasonal demand spikes in summer (cottage rentals, lakeside cooking) and winter (lake-effect cold snaps and outage backup). Lake-effect storm tank top-up is a recurring service offering. Good fit if you have a lake property with intermittent occupancy.

Cylinder exchange and small-tank dealer

Local independent

Coverage: County-level coverage, often a single bulk plant serving a 30-mile radius. Found in every Ohio county with a meaningful rural propane base.

Notes: Right tier if you only need 100-lb cylinders or a single 250-gallon tank refill, not bulk delivery. Per-gallon rates on small-volume fills are the highest in the state but with no contract commitment. Useful for cabins, hunting properties, and short-term residences.

Verification note. Ohio LP-Gas dealers and installers are licensed through the Ohio Division of Industrial Compliance (Department of Commerce) under OAC 4101:8-24, with the LP-Gas Code itself adopted via the State Fire Marshal in OAC 1301:7-7-61 and 1301:7-7-80 (NFPA 58, 2020 edition). Trade representation runs through the Ohio Propane Gas Association at ohiopropanegas.org, which administers CETP (Certified Employee Training Program) credentials. Always pull two or three written quotes (one national, one regional/cooperative, one local) before signing because per-gallon spreads of $0.25-$0.40 within the same county are routine.

Ohio Propane Fill Costs by Tank Size (at $2.69/gal)

Propane tanks fill to 80% of stated capacity (the "80% rule") to allow for thermal expansion. Below is what each fill costs at the Ohio 2026 average. Real-world quotes vary 10-15% above or below the EIA average depending on supplier, contract type, delivery frequency, and whether your zip code sits in the metro band or the Eastern Ohio rural premium band.

Tank size	Usable gallons (80%)	Fill cost at $2.69/gal	vs national ($2.67/gal)
100 gal	80 gal	$216	+$2
250 gal	200 gal	$539	+$4
500 gal	400 gal	$1078	+$8
1000 gal	800 gal	$2156	+$17

Compare to the national refill cost guide or check pricing in other states. A typical Ohio household heating a 2,000 sqft home burns 700-1,000 gallons per year, which translates to two full fills of a 500-gallon tank. Annual propane spend at the current state-average rate ranges from $1887 (low usage) to $2695 (high usage). Eastern Ohio rural Appalachian households running 1,000-gallon tanks and longer winters can hit $3719-$4528 per year once the rural delivery premium is added in.

Ohio Heating Season, Pre-Buy Strategy, and HEAP

Ohio's residential heating season runs roughly seven months, October through April, with the coldest stretch falling in January and February. Spring (March-April) and fall (September-October) shoulder seasons see modest space-heating demand on cold nights, while May-August is essentially water-heating, cooking, and pool/spa demand for propane households. Lake-effect winters in the northeast (Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga, Portage, Trumbull counties) push the season slightly longer.

Typical Ohio propane-heat households consume 700-1,200 gallons per year, depending on house size, insulation, climate band, and how much of the load is propane versus another fuel. A 2,000 sqft home in Columbus or Cincinnati metro propane-suburbs burns 700-900 gallons. A rural Appalachian Ohio house with propane handling space heat, water heat, range, dryer, and a propane standby generator runs 1,100-1,400 gallons. Holmes County Amish households running gas refrigerators, gas lighting, and heavy stovetop cooking on top of heating can hit 1,500+ gallons.

Translated to dollars at the 2026 Ohio average: a 900 gallon household pays $2426 per year for fuel alone, before tank rental, delivery surcharges, or service contracts. Eastern Ohio rural households at the rural premium band ($0.15-$0.30/gal above state average) running 1,200 gallons hit roughly $3498 per year.

Ohio HEAP for income-qualified households. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is Ohio's implementation of federal LIHEAP, run by the Ohio Department of Development, Office of Community Assistance. The 2025-2026 program year runs 1 July 2025 through 30 May 2026. HEAP pays a once-yearly benefit directly to your propane supplier. Eligibility is set at or below 175% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (households of nine or more use 60% of state median income). The Winter Crisis Program runs November through March for households out of bulk fuel; the Summer Crisis Program runs July through September for cooling. Apply online at energyhelp.ohio.gov or through your local Community Action Agency. Phone: 800-282-0880.

Summer pre-buy is worth doing in Ohio. Pre-buying or capping in May-August routinely saves $200-$400 per year for a 900 gallon household versus paying winter spot rates. Most Ohio suppliers run pre-buy enrollment between May 1 and August 31. Read the fine print: cap-price contracts let you keep savings if wholesale falls; flat pre-buy locks you in either direction. For agricultural propane (corn-drying, dairy heat), lock in by July; the corn-belt wholesale rate moves with weather forecasts after that. The savings are smaller than in the Northeast because Ohio's seasonal price swing is smaller, but they are reliable and the contract enforcement risk is low.

Tornado season generator prep. Ohio averages 19 tornadoes per year with peak season April-July, plus Lake Erie counties face winter outage risk. Propane standby generators are the dominant whole-house backup option statewide because they tap the existing residential tank. A 20kW standby unit burns 2.5-3 gallons per hour at full load; a 500-gallon tank at 80% fill (400 usable gallons) supports about 130-160 hours of continuous backup. Schedule generator commissioning in March before tornado season and again in September before winter, do not wait for the first storm warning.

Ohio vs Other Midwest States (2026)

State	Price/gal	500-gal refill (400 usable)	vs national ($2.67)
Ohio (this page)	$2.69	$1078	+1%
Indiana	$2.63	$1054	-1%
Michigan	$2.37	$948	-11%
Missouri	$2.21	$884	-17%
Wisconsin	$2.07	$826	-23%
Minnesota	$2.06	$822	-23%
Illinois	$2.03	$810	-24%
Kansas	$1.98	$791	-26%
South Dakota	$1.84	$736	-31%
North Dakota	$1.70	$680	-36%
Iowa	$1.66	$664	-38%
Nebraska	$1.64	$657	-39%
National average	$2.67	$1070	0%

Ohio is the most expensive Midwest state in our 2026 dataset, sitting above Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. The full Midwest region averages $2.07/gal, $0.60 below the $2.67 national mark. Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas come in cheapest because they sit on top of the corn-belt fractionator network with dense agricultural propane volume and short delivery routes. Ohio's price reflects the metro natural-gas dominance limiting customer base plus the Eastern Ohio rural premium dragging the statewide blended number upward.

Ohio Propane FAQ

Am I eligible for Ohio HEAP propane help?

Ohio's Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is the state's implementation of federal LIHEAP, administered by the Ohio Department of Development, Office of Community Assistance. The 2025-2026 program year runs 1 July 2025 through 30 May 2026. HEAP pays a once-yearly benefit directly to your propane supplier or bulk fuel vendor toward winter heating costs. Eligibility is set at or below 175% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for households up to eight (households of nine or more use 60% of state median income). The Winter Crisis Program runs alongside HEAP from November through March for households facing disconnection or out of bulk fuel; the Summer Crisis Program runs July through September for cooling assistance. Apply online at energyhelp.ohio.gov or through your local Community Action Agency. Processing can take up to 12 weeks, so apply in autumn before heating season. Phone: 800-282-0880.

How do I find a licensed Ohio propane dealer or installer?

Ohio LP-Gas dealer and installer licensing sits with the Ohio Division of Industrial Compliance, inside the Department of Commerce. The Division administers OAC 4101:8-24 (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) and references NFPA 58 (the LP-Gas Code) via the Ohio State Fire Marshal's adoption in OAC 1301:7-7-61 and 1301:7-7-80. Always verify a dealer is registered with the Department of Commerce before signing a service agreement, and ask whether the technician has CETP (Certified Employee Training Program) credentials through the Ohio Propane Gas Association at ohiopropanegas.org. Unlicensed installers cannot legally pull permits for tank set or appliance hookups; a properly licensed dealer is the difference between a clean inspection and a torn-out install at resale.

Why is propane essential in Ohio's Amish country?

The Holmes-Wayne-Tuscarawas Amish settlement is the largest Old Order Amish community in the world, with roughly 40,000 members across Holmes, Wayne, Tuscarawas, and Coshocton counties. Old Order households reject grid electricity by Ordnung but accept propane as a non-grid energy source, so propane runs gas refrigerators, gas ranges, gas-mantle lighting, water heaters, and many shop tools. That makes Holmes County one of the densest residential propane demand pockets in the Midwest. Suppliers serving Berlin, Sugarcreek, Walnut Creek, Millersburg, Mount Hope, and Charm route trucks daily during heating season and weekly off-season, and several specialise in Amish-spec appliances (Servel-style absorption refrigerators, Aladdin lamps, Crystal range tops). Ask any Holmes County supplier about the standard pre-buy that Amish households sign in May for the next 12 months, it is usually the most competitive rate they offer.

Why are Eastern Ohio rural propane prices higher than the state average?

Eastern and southeastern Ohio (Belmont, Monroe, Noble, Guernsey, Athens, Vinton, Meigs, Morgan, Perry, Hocking, Jackson, Pike, and Adams counties) sits outside most of the Columbia Gas, Dominion Energy, and Duke Energy natural-gas footprints, which makes propane the dominant non-electric heating fuel. That should help prices on a supply basis, because Eastern Ohio is directly on the Marcellus/Utica NGL production zone with fractionators across the river in West Virginia. But three things push delivered cost up: longer routes per customer (a bobtail truck covering Monroe County takes a full day to fill the same number of households as a Columbus-suburb route in three hours), fewer suppliers competing for the same household, and higher generator and corn-drying demand layered on top of residential heating. Per-gallon delivered prices in rural Appalachian Ohio counties typically run $0.15-$0.30 above the state average even from the same national supplier. The statewide EIA weekly number ($2.69/gal) blends both bands, which means the rural number is meaningfully higher than the headline.

Is propane used for corn drying in Ohio agriculture?

Yes, heavily. Ohio is the seventh-largest corn-producing state in the US, and propane drives most of the state's grain-drying capacity at harvest. Continuous-flow and batch-bin grain dryers run on propane because diesel is more expensive per BTU, natural gas is rarely available at rural elevators, and propane stores cleanly on-farm in 1,000-gallon ASME tanks. A typical Ohio corn farmer drying 50,000 bushels from 22% moisture down to 15% will burn 3,500-5,000 gallons of propane in a 6-8 week harvest window (mid-September to early November). That demand layer is why suppliers serving Western Ohio (Mercer, Auglaize, Van Wert, Paulding, Putnam, Hancock, Wood, Henry, Defiance counties) and Central Ohio (Madison, Union, Champaign, Logan, Fayette) always run hard from late August. Soybean and dairy operations add steady year-round propane demand on top of corn-drying spikes. Lock in agricultural pre-buy with your supplier by July at the latest, after that the corn-belt wholesale rate moves with weather forecasts not contracts.

Should I prep propane for Ohio tornado season and winter outages?

Yes. Ohio averages 19 tornadoes per year, with peak season from April through July, and Lake Erie winter storms can knock power out for days in any of the lake counties (Lucas, Ottawa, Erie, Lorain, Cuyahoga, Lake, Ashtabula). Propane-fueled standby generators are the dominant whole-house backup option in Ohio because they run automatically off the existing residential propane tank, do not require fuel-stabilising like gasoline or diesel, and meet the 24-72 hour run requirement that tornado-belt and lake-effect outages demand. Sizing: a 20kW standby generator burns roughly 2.5-3 gallons per hour at full load, so a 500-gallon propane tank at 80% fill (400 usable gallons) supports about 130-160 hours of continuous backup. Most Ohio homeowners size for a 500-gallon tank with a 20kW Generac or Kohler unit; rural Appalachian households often go to 1,000-gallon tanks because outages there can stretch into days. Schedule generator commissioning in March before tornado season and in September before winter, do not wait for the first storm warning.

Should I use propane or natural gas in Ohio?

It depends entirely on whether your address has natural gas service. In Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo, Akron, Dayton, and most established suburbs, natural gas (delivered by Columbia Gas of Ohio, Dominion Energy Ohio, or Duke Energy Ohio) is the default residential heating fuel and is generally cheaper per BTU than propane. If the gas main is on your street, gas usually wins on running cost. Propane dominates in rural Appalachian Ohio, in Holmes-Wayne-Tuscarawas Amish country, in Lake Erie tourism cottages, and in newer subdivisions outside the gas footprint. For those addresses, propane is the practical choice short of all-electric heat. If you have a choice (rare in established neighbourhoods), the natural gas tap fee and meter install often runs $1,500-$3,500 but pays back within 5-7 winters versus propane at Ohio's $2.69/gal rate. The metro natural-gas dominance is also why Ohio's residential propane customer base is smaller than the state's population suggests, which limits supplier route economies and keeps prices slightly above what the Marcellus/Utica supply position alone would predict.

Ohio Propane Price 2026: Cost Per Gallon, Suppliers & Delivery

Ohio Propane Pricing Snapshot (2026)

Why Ohio Propane Prices Sit Where They Do

Ohio Propane Companies: How to Build Your Quote List

National chain A

National chain B

Ohio farmer-owned cooperative

Regional family operator

Holmes County Amish-country specialist

Eastern Ohio rural independent

Western Ohio agricultural specialist

Lake Erie corridor specialist

Cylinder exchange and small-tank dealer

Ohio Propane Fill Costs by Tank Size (at $2.69/gal)

Ohio Heating Season, Pre-Buy Strategy, and HEAP

Ohio vs Other Midwest States (2026)

Ohio Propane FAQ

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