Heating Fuel Prices

Weekly Heating Fuel Prices

The Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) conducts a weekly survey of heating fuel prices, obtained from fuel retailers statewide. This survey provides the current Maine cash prices, in dollars, rounded to the nearest penny.

Maine Retail Heating Fuel Prices, as of March 29, 2021*

Heating Oil	Statewide	Southwest/ West- Central	Southeast/ Greater Portland	Central	East/ Downeast	Northern
Average	$2.59	$2.55	$2.59	$2.61	$2.57	$2.61
High	$3.06	$2.90	$2.99	$3.06	$2.75	$2.81
Low	$2.22	$2.22	$2.25	$2.35	$2.23	$2.34
Kerosene	$3.19	$3.11	$3.31	$3.26	$3.14	$3.16
Propane	$2.91	$3.03	$3.13	$2.85	$2.75	$2.81

*Please Note: The price for the various heating fuels are statewide averages, and prices in a given geographic region of the state may be considerably higher or lower than this average. These statewide averages are spot cash prices, and not ‘pre-buy’, introductory, or otherwise discounted prices. Average propane prices are 30-day cash/credit prices, based on consumption of at least 900 gallons a year. Households using propane just for cooking or hot water generally pay a higher per gallon price.

The Governor’s Energy Office has developed a guide to assist consumers in obtaining the best propane price for their household and location. The guide can be accessed here - Propane 101 Consumer Guide (PDF).

Below is a table that compares various heating fuels, on a dollar per million Btu (heating unit). Consumers will then need to consider the efficiency of their heating system(s) to estimate their overall heating costs.

Comparison of Heating Fuel Prices per Million Btu, as of March 29, 2021

Fuel Price (in dollars)	Fuel Price (dollars per million Btu)
Cord Wood ($275/cord)	$12.50
Natural Gas ($1.40-$1.73/therm)¹	$14.00 - $17.33
Wood Pellets ($268/ton)	$16.24
Heating Oil ($2.59/gallon)	$18.67
Electricity - heat pump use (5.19-5.91 cents/kWh)²	$15.21 - $17.32
Kerosene ($3.19/gallon)	$23.63
Propane ($2.91/gallon)	$31.86
Electricity - baseboard (15.20-17.33 cents/kwh)³	$44.55 - $50.79
¹price varies depending on location; natural gas and electricity delivery companies operate only in selected areas of the state. ²price reflects more efficient use of electricity by heat pumps; calculation courtesy of Efficiency Maine. ³all electricity prices include minimum monthly fees.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides a calculator that allows consumers to obtain more detailed estimates of home heating costs, and the price impacts of various types of fuel, heating systems, and heating appliances. Heating costs vary considerably from home to home, and the calculator is intended to provide estimates, not exact values. There are numerous factors that are important when deciding on the type of heating system to purchase. Home Heating Calculator (XLS)