Rhode Island heating oil and propane prices per gallon this week
Rhode Island heating oil averaged $6.380 a gallon in the week of October 19, 2026, propane $4.167.
Heating oil, Rhode Island, week of October 19, 2026
$6.380/gal
| 150 gallons at this price | $957 |
| Change from the week before | +$0.076 |
| Same week a year ago | $3.610 (+76.7 %) |
| Average of last winter (2025-26, November to March) | $4.196 |
| Wholesale price the same week | $5.272 (dealer spread $1.108) |
| U.S. average | $6.190 |
EIA weekly survey of October 19, 2026, excluding taxes. Next release October 28, 2026.
Compiled by Radif Partners · Where the prices come from · EIA survey of , published October 21, 2026, excluding taxes
Rhode Island sits near the top of both federal price tables this week. Heating oil averaged $6.380 a gallon in the EIA survey of October 19, 2026, 4th of 21 states, and propane $4.167, 3rd of 38. A quarter of the state's homes, 113,718 by the Census Bureau's count, heat with oil, most of the rest with utility gas. Rhode Island's winter is the mildest in New England at 4,612 heating degree days from November to March, so the EIA's average oil home would need about 428 gallons, or $2,729 at this week's price. Last winter the state's oil averaged $4.196 a gallon from November to March. Prices exclude taxes; a dealer's quote can differ from the state average in either direction.
A small state with a high spread
The EIA's wholesale heating oil price for Rhode Island was $5.272 this week, within cents of its neighbors. The retail average is what stands out: $1.108 above wholesale, against $0.775 in Massachusetts and $0.815 in Connecticut. For a household on a 275-gallon tank, each ten cents of spread is about $28 a fill.
Rhode Island price and your order
Heating oil, Rhode Island, week of October 19, 2026
$6.380/gal
| 175 gallons at this price | $1,117 |
| Change from the week before | +$0.076 |
| Same week a year ago | $3.610 (+76.7 %) |
| Average of last winter (2025-26, November to March) | $4.196 |
What history says for Rhode Island
Since 2013-14, the Rhode Island winter average ended above the mid-October price in 7 of 13 seasons, with a median change of 4.0 %. Last season it rose from $3.638 in mid-October to an average of $4.196, with a top week of $5.813 on March 23, 2026. The lock-in calculator replays each of those winters from today's price.
Propane in Rhode Island
Only 21,922 Rhode Island homes heat with propane, 4.9 % of the total, and they pay one of the highest prices in the country. The highest week on file was $4.660 on March 3, 2014. A 500-gallon tank filled from 30 % costs $1,042 at this week's average; the propane tank page gives other sizes.
The Rhode Island winter and the bill
Rhode Island's normal January brings 1,155 heating degree days, against 1,486 in Maine, so the same house burns noticeably less oil here than further north. Spread over the season, the average oil home's 428 gallons at this week's price come to about $546 a month from November to March. That is the figure behind the winter budget, which also lets you replace the average with your own gallons. Households with incomes under $70,124 a year for three people can apply for federal heating assistance; the LIHEAP page explains the limit for every household size.
What a delivery costs in Rhode Island at this week's average
| Fuel | Price a gallon | Order | Order | Order | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil | $6.380 | 100 gal: $638 | 150 gal: $957 | 200 gal: $1,276 | 275 gal: $1,755 |
| Propane | $4.167 | 100 gal: $417 | 250 gal: $1,042 | 400 gal: $1,667 | 800 gal: $3,334 |
Heating oil in Rhode Island, winter by winter
| Winter | Mid-October | November to March average | Season high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | $6.304 | in progress | $6.380 (October 19, 2026) |
| 2025-26 | $3.638 | $4.196 | $5.813 (March 23, 2026) |
| 2024-25 | $3.563 | $3.704 | $3.993 (January 20, 2025) |
| 2023-24 | $4.412 | $4.059 | $4.450 (October 2, 2023) |
| 2022-23 | $5.846 | $4.554 | $5.884 (October 31, 2022) |
| 2021-22 | $3.435 | $3.828 | $5.281 (March 7, 2022) |
| 2020-21 | $2.307 | $2.567 | $2.935 (March 15, 2021) |
| 2019-20 | $3.044 | $3.012 | $3.211 (January 6, 2020) |
| 2018-19 | $3.493 | $3.326 | $3.507 (October 29, 2018) |
| 2017-18 | $2.726 | $3.141 | $3.385 (January 15, 2018) |
| 2016-17 | $2.457 | $2.650 | $2.736 (January 9, 2017) |
| 2015-16 | $2.537 | $2.232 | $2.537 (October 12, 2015) |
| 2014-15 | $3.461 | $3.084 | $3.461 (October 13, 2014) |
| 2013-14 | $3.840 | $4.074 | $4.268 (February 3, 2014) |
Propane in Rhode Island, winter by winter
| Winter | Mid-October | November to March average | Season high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | $4.093 | in progress | $4.167 (October 19, 2026) |
| 2025-26 | $3.650 | $3.631 | $3.792 (March 23, 2026) |
| 2024-25 | $3.552 | $3.687 | $3.846 (February 10, 2025) |
| 2023-24 | $3.388 | $3.539 | $3.712 (March 4, 2024) |
| 2022-23 | $3.869 | $3.722 | $3.883 (October 24, 2022) |
| 2021-22 | $3.580 | $3.797 | $4.095 (March 14, 2022) |
| 2020-21 | $2.851 | $3.038 | $3.359 (March 1, 2021) |
| 2019-20 | $3.078 | $3.060 | $3.136 (January 20, 2020) |
| 2018-19 | $3.508 | $3.555 | $3.574 (December 24, 2018) |
| 2017-18 | $3.488 | $3.791 | $3.920 (February 12, 2018) |
| 2016-17 | $3.441 | $3.511 | $3.703 (March 20, 2017) |
| 2015-16 | $3.036 | $3.304 | $3.549 (March 21, 2016) |
| 2014-15 | $3.632 | $3.487 | $3.776 (October 20, 2014) |
| 2013-14 | $3.493 | $4.085 | $4.660 (March 3, 2014) |