New England isn’t the only part of the country where heating oil is a major household expense – New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Long Island, and Westchester County all have substantial oil-heat populations too, with their own pricing patterns and local quirks. As with our New England guide, this article won’t quote a single “current price” as fact (since heating oil prices change daily), but it’ll explain what’s different about these markets and exactly where to find real, current numbers.
How These Markets Differ from New England
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the New York counties covered here share the same broad Northeast heating oil market as New England – prices track the same crude oil benchmarks and respond to the same regional supply dynamics – but a few factors make these markets distinct:
- Generally lower oil-heat reliance than Maine or New Hampshire, though still significant in many counties, particularly in rural Pennsylvania and parts of New Jersey and Long Island
- Downstate New York’s biodiesel requirement: Nassau, Suffolk, NYC, and Westchester counties require B5 heating oil (containing 5% biodiesel) – a regulatory detail that doesn’t apply in New England and is worth knowing when comparing prices, since B5 can have a small cost difference compared to standard heating oil
- More county-level price tracking: New York State (via NYSERDA) and several private comparison sites track prices at a finer county-by-county level than is typical in some New England states, which can make local comparison shopping more granular
Snapshot: What Recent Data Has Shown
To illustrate the kind of regional variation that exists (without presenting these as current prices), recent dated snapshots from price-tracking sites have shown a meaningful spread across states:
| State | Snapshot Price (per source/date) | Source |
| New Jersey | $4.35-$5.87/gal (May 2026); average ~$4.59-$5.84/gal (April 2026) | HeatFleet / GetHomeHeat |
| Pennsylvania | Around $3.52/gal (lowest tracked) | CashHeatingOil.com |
| Maryland | Around $4.20/gal (lowest tracked) | CashHeatingOil.com |
| Massachusetts (for comparison) | Around $3.94/gal (lowest tracked) | CashHeatingOil.com |
The point of this table isn’t the specific numbers – by the time you’re reading this, they’ll be different – but the pattern: Pennsylvania has tended to show some of the lower prices in these comparisons, while New Jersey has shown a notably wide range between its low and high figures, suggesting more variation by exact location and supplier within that state specifically.
New Jersey: Wide Price Variation by County
New Jersey’s heating oil market spans a wide range of county types – from dense suburban counties near New York City to more rural areas in the western and southern parts of the state. Hunterdon County, in particular, comes up frequently in price searches, likely reflecting its more rural character and correspondingly different supplier landscape compared to counties closer to major metro areas. With pricing data available across 13+ counties from multiple tracking sources, New Jersey residents have more granular comparison options than some other states – making a quick comparison across 2-3 sources, filtered to the specific county, a worthwhile step before ordering.
Pennsylvania: Northeast PA and the Lehigh Valley
Pennsylvania’s heating oil market is concentrated in its eastern regions – Northeast PA and the Lehigh Valley specifically – reflecting the state’s connection to the broader Northeast heating oil supply chain. Rural Pennsylvania has a moderate but real oil-heat market, generally smaller in proportion than New England but still significant in specific counties. Pennsylvania has shown some of the more competitive pricing in regional comparisons, though as with every state in this guide, exact pricing depends heavily on the specific delivery location within the state.
Maryland and Delaware
Maryland and Delaware represent the southern edge of the Mid-Atlantic heating oil market covered by most of the comparison sites referenced in this guide. Baltimore-area pricing comes up specifically in search data, reflecting that metro area’s oil-heat households. As with Pennsylvania, these states are generally less oil-heat-dependent than New England, but the same comparison-shopping approach applies for the households that do use it.
Long Island and Westchester: New York’s Oil Heat Counties
Long Island (Nassau and Suffolk counties) and Westchester County represent some of the most oil-heat-dependent areas of New York State outside the immediate five boroughs. New York State, through NYSERDA, runs an official Home Heating Oil Price Monitoring Program that surveys prices weekly during heating season (October-March) and twice monthly the rest of the year – making it one of the more robust official price-tracking programs covered in this guide, and a genuinely useful first stop for Long Island and Westchester residents specifically.
The B5 biodiesel requirement mentioned earlier applies specifically to these downstate New York counties (Nassau, Suffolk, NYC, and Westchester) – meaning heating oil purchased in these areas is required to contain 5% biodiesel by regulation, which is a meaningful difference from heating oil sold in New England or most of New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Where to Check Actual Current Prices
As with our New England guide, the most useful thing this article can do is point toward where real, current numbers live for this region specifically:
- NYSERDA (New York): Official state program with weekly (in-season) price surveys broken down by region – Long Island, NYC, Lower Hudson (including Westchester), and others
- Multi-state comparison sites: Several sites track daily COD pricing specifically across CT, Long Island NY, NJ, PA, RI, MD, MA, and Westchester NY by ZIP code
- State-specific trackers: Sites that break down pricing by individual state (NJ, PA, etc.) with daily updates and county-level detail
- Direct supplier quotes: As always, calling 2-3 local suppliers for a same-day quote on your specific order size and payment method remains one of the most reliable comparison methods
“2 Heating Oil Prices Near Me”: Why Comparing at Least Two Matters
Search patterns suggest many people specifically look for at least two price quotes before ordering – and this is genuinely sound practice for heating oil specifically, more so than for many other purchases. Because heating oil pricing is set locally by individual suppliers (rather than being a more standardized commodity price like gasoline at the pump), the same delivery address can see meaningfully different quotes from different suppliers on the same day. Getting at least two quotes for the same order size and payment method – rather than ordering from the first supplier found – is one of the simplest ways to ensure a reasonable price without extensive research.
Lock-In Contracts and Budget Plans in This Region
As in New England, suppliers across NJ, PA, MD, and the New York counties covered here typically offer a choice between cash-on-delivery (will-call) pricing and various contract or plan options:
- Price cap or lock-in contracts: Guarantee a maximum price per gallon for the season, sometimes with a small premium built in for that protection – useful if a price spike during the season is a concern
- Pre-buy contracts: Lock in both a price and a guaranteed supply for the season, typically requiring payment upfront or early in the season
- Budget/equal payment plans: Spread the estimated annual cost across equal monthly payments, which doesn’t change the total cost but makes monthly budgeting more predictable
Whether any of these makes sense depends on individual risk tolerance and the market outlook at the time of signing – locking in a price ahead of an expected increase can save money, but locking in ahead of a price drop means missing out on savings. Given how unpredictable short-term oil price movements are, no contract type is a guaranteed win; they’re tools for managing risk and budget predictability rather than ways to beat the market.
Tank Sizes and Delivery Minimums in This Region
As with New England, 275-gallon tanks are common for residential installations across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and the New York counties covered here, though some older homes – particularly in denser suburban areas – may have smaller tanks given space constraints. Most suppliers in this region have minimum delivery quantities (often around 100-150 gallons), which matters when comparing per-gallon prices: a quote based on a 150-gallon minimum order isn’t directly comparable to a quote for filling a mostly-empty 275-gallon tank, since per-gallon pricing can shift at different volume tiers.
For households in denser areas with smaller tanks or more frequent deliveries, the cumulative effect of delivery minimums and per-delivery fees (where applicable) can matter more to total seasonal cost than the headline per-gallon price – another reason why getting a full quote for a specific order, rather than comparing advertised per-gallon prices alone, gives a more accurate picture.
Hunterdon County and Rural NJ: A Specific Example
Hunterdon County’s frequent appearance in heating oil price searches is a useful illustration of how this region’s pricing landscape works. As one of New Jersey’s more rural counties, it has a different supplier landscape than counties closer to the New York metro area – generally fewer large national-style suppliers and more local/regional companies, which can mean both more personalized service and, in some cases, different pricing dynamics than a more urbanized county might see. For residents of rural counties like Hunterdon anywhere in this region, checking whether smaller local suppliers (which may not always appear on the largest comparison sites) serve the specific area can be worth the extra step, since these suppliers sometimes aren’t captured by broader regional price trackers.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do heating oil prices in NJ, PA, and Maryland compare to New England?
These states share the same broad Northeast crude oil market as New England, so prices generally move together – but Pennsylvania in particular has shown some of the more competitive pricing in regional comparisons, while New Jersey has shown wider variation between its lowest and highest tracked prices.
What is B5 heating oil, and where is it required?
B5 heating oil contains 5% biodiesel blended with standard heating oil. It’s required by regulation in downstate New York – specifically Nassau, Suffolk, NYC, and Westchester counties – which is a difference from heating oil sold in New England, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
Where can Long Island and Westchester residents check current heating oil prices?
NYSERDA’s Home Heating Oil Price Monitoring Program is an official New York State resource that surveys prices by region (including Long Island and the Lower Hudson region, which includes Westchester) weekly during heating season and twice monthly otherwise.
Why does heating oil pricing vary so much within the same state?
Heating oil is priced locally by individual suppliers rather than as a standardized commodity price, so the same delivery address can get meaningfully different quotes from different suppliers on the same day. This is why comparing at least two quotes for the same order size and payment method is genuinely useful, not just due diligence.
Is heating oil cheaper in Pennsylvania than New Jersey?
Recent comparison snapshots have shown Pennsylvania with lower prices than New Jersey in some trackers, and New Jersey showing a notably wide range – but exact prices change daily and vary by specific location, so checking current pricing for your specific area is the only way to know for certain.
Should I use a lock-in contract or pay cash on delivery?
It depends on risk tolerance and market outlook at signing – lock-in contracts protect against price spikes but mean missing out if prices drop, while cash-on-delivery often qualifies for discounts but offers no price protection. Neither is a guaranteed win against unpredictable short-term price movements.
Final Thoughts
Heating oil markets in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Long Island, and Westchester operate on the same fundamental dynamics as New England’s – daily price changes, local supplier-set pricing, and significant variation based on order size and payment method – but with their own regional quirks, from New Jersey’s wide county-to-county variation to downstate New York’s B5 biodiesel requirement. The practical takeaway is the same across all of these markets: rather than searching for a single number that’s likely already outdated, checking 2-3 current sources for your specific location and order details gives a far more useful answer than any figure printed in an article.