Heating & Motor Fuel
This page answers frequently asked questions about Heating Fuels and Motor fuels.
Why is the price my dealer is charging for (heating oil, propane, kerosene, gasoline, diesel fuel) higher than the price posted on your website?
Four gasoline stations at an intersection in my town all have different prices. Isn't this a sign of price manipulation?
All the heating oil dealers in my area are charging roughly the same price for oil. Isn't this a sign of price fixing?
I think my (heating oil, propane, kerosene) dealer is raising the price illegally. What can I do?
The fact that deliverable fuels' prices are not regulated means that price changes alone may not be violations of law. However, if you believe that a dealer has violated provisions of a formal contract, or if you feel that you may be the victim of deceptive marketing practices, you might want to contact the Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau at the NH Department of Justice. For additional information, see the Consumer Contacts page at the Office of Consumer Advocate.
I am considering replacing my current heating system with one that burns a different fuel because I can pay less per gallon. What fuel do you recommend?
Price relationships can change. Thus, anticipated savings might not be realized. Furthermore, replacing a heating system can be costly. If you need to replace your heating system in any case, be sure to compare the efficiency of your current system with efficiencies of systems you are considering purchasing as a replacement. Another consideration is the heat content of the fuel. Different fuels may have different per-gallon prices, but they also have different heat contents (expressed in British thermal units or Btu) per gallon. Thus, a direct cost comparison is not feasible.
I can't afford to pay for my heating fuel. Is there any help available?
What heating fuel does New Hampshire Department of Energy recommend?
The New Hampshire Department of Energy does not and cannot recommend specific heating fuels. The considerations are numerous and their relative importance can vary significantly from household to household.
Other considerations:
In the case of propane, there is an additional factor that can influence your price: Propane companies charge different per-gallon prices depending on the consumption volume history of each customer account. The Department specifies the consumption volume when surveying propane dealers' prices for inclusion in our Fuel Price Data page. We request the price for the consumption volume tier that includes 925 gallons. If you consume less per year, for example, under 700 gallons, you may be charged more per gallon than our average price. If you consume more than 1100 gallons year, you may be charged less per gallon than our average price. Not all companies have the same volume/price "break" points, but they all break at some multiple of 100 gallons such as 700-900 gallons and 901-1100 gallons.