Major supplierNYSE: SPHWeek of 30 March 2026

Suburban Propane Price Per Gallon

Suburban Propane Partners is the third largest US retail propane marketer, with a deep Northeast and Mid-Atlantic footprint plus West Coast operations. This page covers Suburban's typical pricing, footprint, contract options, and how Suburban compares to AmeriGas and Ferrellgas.

US residential reference (EIA)

$2.674/ gallon

Week of 30 March 2026. Suburban Propane residential pricing typically tracks within 5 to 15% of the EIA regional average.

Company snapshot

Suburban Propane Partners (NYSE: SPH) is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered in Whippany, New Jersey. Suburban traces its origins to 1928 and through a series of acquisitions has built out a footprint of more than 700 customer service locations across 41 states. The company serves approximately 1 million customers across residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural segments, plus a smaller heating oil and motor fuels operation in select markets.

The Suburban footprint is densest in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina) and on the West Coast (California, Oregon, Washington), with secondary presence in the Southeast and parts of the Midwest. Suburban Propane is consistently among the top three or four US propane retailers by gallons sold, alongside AmeriGas (UGI), Ferrellgas, and Suburban itself.

Residential delivery pricing

Suburban Propane, like other major retail propane marketers, does not publish per-gallon residential prices online. Pricing is quoted at the customer level based on region, contract type, tank ownership status, and annual consumption tier. Industry pricing surveys (NPGA dealer data, customer-reported pricing on industry forums, occasional state utility commission filings) suggest Suburban residential will-call prices typically run within 5 to 15% of the EIA regional average, similar to AmeriGas.

Suburban offers the standard contract options.

Will-call delivery: Reactive delivery at the customer's request. Highest per-gallon Suburban price tier in most regions.
Automatic delivery: Suburban monitors tank levels via heating-degree-day estimation. Typical 3 to 6 cent per gallon discount versus will-call, similar to other major suppliers.
Suburban Comfort Care: Suburban's branded service plan, bundling automatic delivery, tank monitoring, and priority service. Available in most markets.
Price protection programs: Cap, fixed, and pre-buy programs available in most state markets. Specific terms and premiums vary by state.

How Suburban compares to AmeriGas and Ferrellgas

The three largest US propane retailers (AmeriGas, Ferrellgas, Suburban Propane) operate with similar business models, similar contract offerings, and generally similar pricing bands. The competitive differences are mostly geographic.

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: Suburban and AmeriGas typically compete head-to-head, with local independents in many markets. Pricing tends to cluster within a few cents per gallon.
Midwest: AmeriGas and Ferrellgas have the larger footprints; Suburban is present but less dense. Rural cooperative dealers are common competition.
Southeast: Mixed competitive landscape. All three majors operate; local and regional dealers are significant.
West Coast: Suburban is strong in California, Oregon, and Washington. AmeriGas and regional dealers are the main competition.

A residential customer should get quotes from all available major and independent dealers in the customer's zip code. The per-gallon variation across three quotes is commonly 10 to 25 cents.

Commercial and industrial pricing

Suburban serves commercial and industrial accounts across food service, hospitality, agriculture, and autogas fleets. Commercial pricing follows the volume- tier structure detailed on our commercial vs residential page. Light commercial accounts (1,500 to 5,000 gallons per year) typically pay 8 to 15% below the customer's regional residential price. Medium commercial (5,000 to 20,000 gallons) pays 12 to 20% below. Industrial accounts on signed contracts pay cost-plus referenced to Mont Belvieu or a regional rack.

Suburban's autogas business serves school district and municipal fleets in markets where Suburban has the regional infrastructure. Fleet pricing for autogas typically lands 30 to 50% below the residential price, with federal alternative fuel tax credits (when in effect) further widening the gap.

Tank ownership and contract terms

Suburban will lease a tank to a residential customer or recognise customer-owned tanks of the appropriate ASME rating. Lease arrangements bundle the tank, installation, regulator service, and maintenance into the per-gallon price; the lease amortisation contribution is typically 5 to 12 cents per gallon. Customer-owned tanks reduce the per-gallon price but transfer the tank ownership, maintenance, and eventual replacement to the customer. For a customer planning to stay in the home for 15+ years, ownership typically wins on a present-value basis; for shorter horizons, leasing simplifies the transaction.

Suburban service contracts often include minimum annual consumption commitments to maintain pricing tiers. Customers consuming below the contractual minimum may be subject to surcharges (typical low-volume fee of $35 to $75 per year). Reading the contract for these minimums before signing is worthwhile.

Pre-buy and price protection at Suburban

Suburban's pre-buy program (offered in most states) lets the customer pay up front for a defined volume at a locked summer price. Pre-buy enrollment typically opens in June or July with the price reflecting summer Mont Belvieu spot plus Suburban's normal delivery and margin. Customers willing to put working capital into the deal historically capture 10 to 25 cents per gallon below the eventual winter will-call average. The pre-buy program details vary by state and by year.

Suburban's cap programs let customers pay current market with a ceiling, paying a small premium (10 to 25 cents per gallon) for the price-spike protection. Useful for households who want to benefit from downward price moves while protecting against the polar vortex scenario.

Investor disclosures as a price signal

Because Suburban Propane Partners is a publicly traded MLP, its quarterly investor disclosures include some information about realised pricing and margins. The Suburban 10-Q filings (available at the SEC EDGAR system and at Suburban's investor relations site at suburbanpropane.com/investor-relations) typically report gallons sold, gross margin per gallon, and the weighted-average wholesale propane cost basis used. For analysts and journalists tracking the propane market, this is one of the few sources of public per-gallon margin data for a major US propane retailer (AmeriGas went private in 2019, Ferrellgas is private as of 2023). The Suburban margin figure is a useful sanity check on the residential-to-wholesale spread.

What to ask before signing

For a residential customer evaluating Suburban quotes, the questions that matter:

What is the per-gallon price for my expected annual volume? (Get a tier-based answer, not a single number)
Is the price temperature-compensated? (Should be yes)
What is the tank lease fee, and is it itemised separately or included in the per-gallon price?
What is the minimum annual consumption to avoid surcharges?
What pre-buy and cap options are available, and what do they cost?
What is the early-termination fee if I switch suppliers?
Is automatic delivery available, and what is the per- gallon discount vs will-call?

FAQ

Is Suburban Propane more expensive than AmeriGas?

Not consistently. The two majors typically price within a few cents per gallon of each other in head-to-head markets. Local independents and regional dealers can beat both of them in many markets, particularly rural ones.

Where does Suburban Propane operate?

41 states, with the densest footprint in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and on the West Coast. Approximately 700 customer service locations and roughly 1 million customers.

Does Suburban offer a budget payment plan?

Yes, the Suburban budget plan divides estimated annual cost into monthly payments to level cash flow. No per-gallon discount, but easier budget management.

How can I find Suburban Propane pricing data?

Suburban does not publish residential per-gallon pricing. Quarterly SEC filings (Suburban Propane Partners 10-Q at SEC EDGAR) include weighted-average wholesale cost and gross margin per gallon as aggregate disclosures, but not by region or customer class.