Prepare your information first
Dealers can only quote accurately if they know your situation. Have these facts ready before you call:
- Annual propane consumption — last year's gallons from your current bills (if you have them) or estimated from appliance BTU load. See calculate your propane usage.
- Tank size — gallons, aboveground vs underground, owned vs leased.
- Service address — full street address. Route density at your address shapes the quote.
- Appliances served — furnace, water heater, range, dryer, generator, fireplace, pool heater, etc.
- Delivery preference — auto-fill or will-call.
- Contract preference — market-rate, capped, pre-buy, budget billing.
The quote checklist
Ask every dealer for written answers to each of the following. If a dealer refuses to provide written itemisation, drop them from the shortlist.
- Per-gallon price at three fill sizes (e.g. 200, 400, 600 gallons) — most dealers offer volume-tier pricing.
- Tank rent annually, and the minimum annual purchase volume that waives it.
- Delivery / hazmat / fuel surcharge per delivery.
- Minimum delivery volume and the per-gallon penalty (if any) for smaller fills.
- After-hours / emergency / weekend delivery rates.
- Contract length and any auto-renewal clause — including the notice window to opt out.
- Early termination fee and tank-pickup fee if you switch suppliers.
- Out-of-gas restart fee for the NFPA 58 leak test after a run-out.
- Price-change policy — how often the dealer can adjust the rate, and notice given.
- Service-call rate for system maintenance, repairs, or appliance work.
- Payment options — autopay, budget billing, electronic statements, late fees.
- Pre-buy / capped contract terms for the coming winter, if applicable.
Compare apples to apples
The right way to compare three quotes is to project the all-in annual cost for your expected usage:
| Line | Calculation |
|---|---|
| Annual propane cost | Expected gallons × per-gallon rate at that fill size |
| Tank rent | Annual amount (or zero if waived) |
| Delivery surcharges | Per-delivery × number of deliveries per year |
| Service-call provision | Reserve for 1 annual maintenance visit |
| All-in annual total | Sum of above |
The dealer with the lowest headline gallon rate is often not the dealer with the lowest all-in total. High delivery surcharges or non-waived tank rent on a low-volume account can flip the ranking.
What to negotiate
Propane retail pricing is competitive and dealers usually have room to move on a few line items. Things worth pushing on:
- Tank rent waiver — if you're a moderate-to-high-volume customer, push for the rent to be waived at your expected purchase level.
- Volume-tier rate — confirm you'll be priced at your expected fill-size tier, not the smaller-fill rate that would apply to a top-off.
- First-fill discount — many dealers will offer a small incentive on the first fill to win the account.
- No auto-renewal — try to negotiate a contract that does not auto-renew, or that auto-renews only at market rates rather than at the dealer's choice.
- Tank pickup fee cap — agreed in writing at the start, not invented at contract exit.
High-volume customers (1,000+ gal/year) have the most leverage. Light users typically pay rack pricing.
Frequently asked questions
How many propane quotes should I get?
At least three — ideally one national, one regional, one local independent or cooperative. Three quotes captures the realistic price-and-service envelope for any US residential address.
Can I get propane quotes online?
Most US propane dealers don't quote online — they require a phone call so they can ask qualifying questions. National retailers offer service-area lookups online but typically funnel to a phone quote. Plan to make 3-4 phone calls.
Should I shop propane quotes every year?
Not every year, but every 2-3 years is reasonable. Re-shopping is most useful before signing a new contract, or after a significant change in your propane usage (new appliances, home expansion, generator addition).
Do I have leverage as a residential propane customer?
Yes — more than most utility customers, because propane retail is unregulated and competitive. High-volume customers have the most leverage. Even light users can extract small concessions (first-fill discount, tank rent waiver) when there's local competition.