Last reviewed: August 2026 · By the HVAC Brief Editorial Team · Our sourcing and editorial standards
US residential heating oil averaged $4.01 a gallon across the 2025/26 heating season, up 9.8% on the season before, and finished at $5.54 on 2026-03-30. The season peaked at $5.57 on 2026-03-23, the highest weekly price since November 2022.
The move was concentrated, not gradual. In the week of March 9, 2026 the national residential price jumped from $4.27 to $5.09, a 19.3% rise in a single week, then kept climbing for two more weeks before the season closed.
The Energy Information Administration surveys residential heating oil prices weekly, but only from October through March. That means the number most sites quote in summer is a stale March figure, and the current published reading will not change until the survey restarts. Everything below states which week it describes.
What heating oil costs right now
The most recent published price is $5.54 per gallon for the week ending 2026-03-30. That is the final reading of the 2025/26 season. EIA does not survey residential prices between April and September, so this figure stands as the current published price until the new season begins in October.
| Measure, 2025/26 season | Price per gallon | Week |
|---|---|---|
| Most recent published price | $5.54 | 2026-03-30 |
| Season peak | $5.57 | 2026-03-23 |
| Season low | $3.53 | during the season |
| Season average | $4.01 | 26 weekly readings |
| Prior season average, 2024/25 | $3.65 | 28 weekly readings |
How this season compares
At $4.01, the 2025/26 average sits 9.8% above 2024/25 and is the highest season average since 2022/23, when the average was $4.82. The peak of $5.57 is below the $5.90 reached in November 2022 but above every other season in the last decade.
| Heating season | Average | Peak | Change in average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | $2.47 | $2.90 | |
| 2021/22 | $3.74 | $5.13 | +51.2% |
| 2022/23 | $4.82 | $5.90 | +29.0% |
| 2023/24 | $4.04 | $4.39 | -16.3% |
| 2024/25 | $3.65 | $3.94 | -9.5% |
| 2025/26 | $4.01 | $5.57 | +9.8% |
The March spike
Most of the season’s increase arrived in three weeks. The price sat at $4.27 in the week of March 2, jumped to $5.09 on March 9, reached $5.17 on March 16 and peaked at $5.57 on March 23. That is a rise of about 30% across the month, into the tail of the heating season.
A March spike catches households that have already burned most of the season’s fuel and are topping up, and it lands after most budget plans and pre-buy contracts were priced. EIA publishes the price series, not the cause, so we do not attribute the move here. What the data supports is the size and the timing, not an explanation.
What this means if you heat with oil
A typical Northeast household using roughly 700 gallons a season would have paid about $2,808 at this season’s average, against $2,556 at last season’s, a difference near $252. Actual consumption varies widely with climate, house size and insulation, so treat that as an illustration of the delta rather than a bill estimate.
Two decisions follow from a season like this. Pre-buy and budget plans are priced against expectations that a late spike can invalidate in either direction. And the gap between oil and alternatives widens: our analysis of heat pump shipment share shows heat pumps now take 45.7% of new central shipments, and the economics of a switch move with exactly this series.
If you are weighing equipment rather than fuel, our HVAC price index tracks what the equipment itself costs, which has moved on a very different path from fuel.
Methodology
Prices are the EIA weekly residential No. 2 heating oil series, sourcekey W_EPD2F_PRS_NUS_DPG, US average, dollars per gallon, retrieved as the published historical spreadsheet from eia.gov. The series holds 795 weekly observations from 1990-10-01 to 2026-03-30.
EIA surveys residential prices only during the heating season, October through March. We aggregate to seasons rather than calendar years because a calendar average would splice two different winters. A season labelled 2025/26 covers October 2025 through March 2026. Season averages, peaks and the week-over-week changes are ours, computed from the weekly series.
Limitations
- This is a national average. Regional prices, particularly in New England and the Mid-Atlantic where most oil heat is concentrated, can differ materially.
- Residential prices include delivery and dealer margin, which vary by supplier, delivery size and contract type.
- No price is published between April and September. Any current-sounding summer figure elsewhere is a March reading or an estimate.
- We do not explain the March move. EIA publishes prices, not causes, and we do not attribute a cause we cannot source.
- The household illustration uses a round 700 gallon assumption for arithmetic only. It is not a consumption estimate for any particular home.
Frequently asked questions
How much does heating oil cost right now?
The most recent published US residential average is $5.54 a gallon for the week ending 2026-03-30, the final reading of the 2025/26 season. EIA surveys residential heating oil prices only from October through March, so this figure remains the current published price until weekly surveying resumes in October.
Why are heating oil prices so high?
The 2025/26 season averaged $4.01 a gallon, 9.8% above the season before, with a sharp move in March 2026 that took the price from $4.27 to a peak of $5.57 in three weeks. EIA publishes the price series but not the causes, so we report the size and timing rather than attributing a reason.
What was the highest heating oil price?
Within the last decade, the highest weekly residential price was $5.90 a gallon in the 2022/23 season. The 2025/26 peak of $5.57 on 2026-03-23 is the highest since then and above every other season in that period.
When does EIA update heating oil prices?
Weekly, during the heating season only. Surveying runs October through March and pauses from April to September. The series is W_EPD2F_PRS_NUS_DPG, published as a historical spreadsheet on eia.gov, and it holds weekly observations back to 1990.
How much heating oil does a house use in a season?
Consumption varies widely with climate, house size, insulation and thermostat behaviour, and EIA does not publish a single national per-household figure in this series. For arithmetic only, at this season’s $4.01 average a household burning 700 gallons would spend about $2,808, against $2,556 at last season’s average.
Sources
- US Energy Information Administration, Weekly US No. 2 Heating Oil Residential Price, sourcekey W_EPD2F_PRS_NUS_DPG, dollars per gallon, 1990-10-01 to 2026-03-30.
- Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute, June 2026 Statistical Release, for heat pump shipment share.
The HVAC Brief is an independent trade publication. We do not sell fuel or equipment, take advertising, or accept payment for placement. Corrections welcome.
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